Simone Waddell
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Simone Waddell | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 16, 1975 |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Education |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer, vocal coach, advocate |
| Years active | 1996 - present |
| Website | simonewaddell |
Simone Waddell (born December 16, 1975) is an Australian jazz singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and advocate for justice. She is the founder, lead vocal coach, and workshop facilitator of You Have A Voice. Waddell is known for her fusion of jazz with other genres and has performed in several countries.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Waddell was born on December 16, 1975, in Sydney, Australia, to Graham and Ellie Waddell. Her mother was a trained secretary, and her father, a printer, was also a church pianist, which influenced her early musical interests. Her paternal grandfather was Scottish born in Glasgow, while her maternal ancestry is rooted in Australia. She is a 5th generation Australian.
In pursuit of a career in music after completing her early education, she became the first Australian recipient of a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1995 through a relationship between Southern Cross University in Lismore, and Berklee, which was forged by Clive Pascoe. She was invited to perform for Berklee’s Dean, Warwick Carter during his visit to the Southern Cross University Music Department in 1995.[2][3]
At Berklee, she studied under instructors, including Dennis Montgomery and Maggi Scott. She received a bachelor of arts in contemporary music in 1997 from Southern Cross University which combined her Australian and American studies. Later, Waddell completed her master of music (Performance) degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2018.[1][4][5] Her master's research focused on the Australian singer Kerrie Biddell, who has been Waddell’s personal mentor.
In 2017, Waddell won an academic grant from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and presented her research at the Auckland University for the 40th Australian and New Zealand Musicological Society Conference.
She also holds several certifications, including trauma healing, mindfulness, and life coaching.[1]
Career
[edit]Waddell began her musical career with her album Take My Love in 1996. After completing her bachelor of arts, she has performed in different countries, including the United States, Japan, China, and Norway, as well as throughout Australia. Her music involves a fusion of Jazz, soul, and gospel genres with blues, funk, pop, and R&B. Previously, she received early recognition as the winner of the Nescafé Big Break competition in 1995 and later served as a judge for the contestants.[1][4]
As of 2024, she has released five studio albums, including her 2022 release, The Art of Collaboration, which features contributions from over 60 Australian jazz musicians, including James Morrison, Rai Thistlethwayte, Paul Grabowsky, and Tommy Emmanuel. The album became the highest-selling Australian jazz album in 2022 and was entered into four categories in the 2023 Grammy Awards.[6]
Waddell was featured on the cover of Fine Music Magazine in November 2023 and co-authored a book, The Attitude of Gratitude, published in 2020. Her involvement in live performances includes appearances on Boston’s Odyssey Cruise, The Sydney 2000 Captain Cook Cruises, festivals like the Manly Jazz Festival, and tours with artists such as Taylor Dayne. She has also performed in venues including the Capitol Theatre (Sydney), Grand Hyatt (Fukuoka), and the Polytheatre (Shenzhen). Waddell has performed regularly for national leaders at Parliament House. In addition, Waddell contributed to tribute shows such as The Adele Experience and The Marvin Gaye Experience. Waddell is also the featured singer for The Billie Holiday Show, musically directed by Rodric White, which has been performed regularly in premier jazz venues in Sydney.
Since 2007, Waddell has been a coach, mentor, host, performer, and judge for several Australian pageant events, including Miss World Australia and Miss Sydney Australia, and worked as a vocal coach for the Watoto Children’s Choir in Uganda in 2018.[1][7]
She began voice coaching in 1991 at age 16 and has delivered thousands of private sessions. In 2008, she founded the You Have a Voice organization to offer workshops and vocal coaching. Since then, Waddell has been its lead vocal coach and workshop facilitator. At her events, she has featured award-winning Australian performers Jenny Morris, Pat Powell, Leigh McRae, Doug Williams, Michael Carpenter, Maria Venuti, Mary Kiani, and Kerrie Biddell. At You Have a Voice, she also facilitates nature-based retreats focused on creativity, music, and personal growth.
In 2022, Waddell released the album The Art of Collaboration with Ambition Music, a division of Ambition Entertainment, founded by Robert Rigby, whose industry experience spans over four decades with Warner Music Australia, Universal Music Australia, and Sony Entertainment Australia. Ambition Music is Australia’s premier adult contemporary music label. In 2024, she commenced a partnership and representation with First Artists and Robert Rigby to create her live theatre shows, The Great Ladies of Jazz and Unforgettable.[7]
Waddell released her single "Calling You" in collaboration with Damien Cooper and James Napier in 2024.[1]
Personal life and advocacy
[edit]Waddell is a cousin of the Australian singer Sia.
During her studies in Lismore in 1994 and 1995, Waddell volunteered at the Lismore Soup Kitchen and connected with people in Aboriginal communities throughout the area. This led to her increasing awareness and support of issues related to Australian Aboriginal people.
She married an American missionary in 1999, Alberto Alfaro, who was arrested in NSW in 2006 and subsequently criminally charged with sexual assault against her. Waddell later received compensation from the NSW Victims of Crime Tribunal for category three sexual assault and category three domestic violence as a result of Alfaro’s abuse toward her by proxy, their son. Waddell has since worked toward legal and social changes in Australia to support abuse victims. She has collaborated with government officials and organizations to address issues like coercive control, sexual assault, sex trafficking, child abuse, and systemic religious abuse.[1]
In 2022 and 2023, the Safe Ministry Process of the Baptist Association of NSW and ACT investigated Alfaro. It made findings that he deceived the Association about his criminal charges for sexual assault, as well as his history of perpetrating abuse against Waddell. As a result, the Baptist Union of NSW removed his ministry endorsement and authorization in March 2023.
In 2001, during her first and only pregnancy, Waddell experienced a severe deep vein thrombosis and spent two months in the Red Cross Hospital and ICU in Nagano, Japan, as well as at Tokyo University Hospital. Despite medical advice to have an abortion for her safety, she chose to continue the pregnancy. Her son was born healthy in Sydney in 2002, under the care of the Risk Associated Pregnancy Team at St George Hospital.
Awards and honors
[edit]- Dux of the Year, Inaburra High School (1988)
- Higher School Certificate, McDonald College High School of the Performing Arts, Sydney, Australia (1993)
- First Australian to Win a Scholarship, Berklee College of Music (1995)
- Winner, Nescafé Big Break (1995)
- Lions Club Citizen of the Year (1997)
- First Jazz Vocalist in Australian history to complete a master of music degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. (2018)
- Highest Selling Australian Jazz Album in 2022 – The Art of Collaboration (2022)
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- The Art of Collaboration (2022)[6]
- Surrender (2016)
- My Romance (2015)
- Make It Happen (1996)
- Take My Love (1996)
EPs
[edit]Singles
[edit]- Calling You (2024)[1]
- Supreme Love (Zouk Remix) (2019)
- Great is Thy Faithfulness/Amazing Grace (2018)
- See Her Again (2015)
- No One Comes Close (Zouk Remix) (2014)
- Surely You Know (2013)
- Meditation (2014)
- Only A Mother Could (2010)
- Till You're Home (2010)
- Beautiful Angel (2010)
- Can Only Wonder (feat Pat Powell) (2010)
- Born To Win (2008)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Simone's on a vocal roll, and Cronulla is her next stop". www.theleader.com.au. 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ The Northern Star; Sweet Sounding Simone; Lachlan Heywood; July 1995
- ^ O'Sullivan, Barry (2023-11-14). "High Five: Simone Waddell". 2 MBS Fine Music Sydney. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ a b c "Soulful Simone is keeping her peace". www.theleader.com.au. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ Parkinson, Andrew (2016-06-20). "Soulful Simone to launch album at home". www.theleader.com.au. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ a b "Lugarno jazz starlet sings a fiery tune". www.theleader.com.au. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ a b "Checking your browser - reCAPTCHA". coastcommunitynews.com.au. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
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