Allison Durbin was born in Auckland, New Zealand, is a New Zealand-born Australian former pop singer. In the early 1970s Durbin's visual 'trademark' was her lustrous waist-length auburn hair. Durbin began performing in public in her early teens and after winning a talent contest at an Auckland ballroom, she was signed to Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac Records at the age of 14 and issued a number of singles on the label. Her third Zodiac single, a cover of Herman's Hermits "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", out-sold the original in New Zealand and became her first chart hit.

She built up a following in New Zealand, recording and fronting the Mike Perjanik Group and she traveled with them to Australia in 1966 for residencies in Sydney. After nine months in Sydney she left the group to establish a solo career, making numerous appearances on Australian TV pop and variety shows. Durbin's first single for New Zealand HMV, "I Have Loved Me A Man", became a #1 hit in New Zealand and also a hit in Australia. The song won her the New Zealand music award, the 1968 Loxene Golden Disc and she was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1969. For three years running (1969, 1970 and 1971), she won Australia's Queen Of Pop award for Best Female Artist. In 1971, she recorded a duet album, 'Together', with John Farnham, who had been voted Australia's King Of Pop during the same years Durbin received her awards.

See photos of celebrities before they hit the big-time.

Allison Durbin

Soundtrack

Self