BEV'S BIOGRAPHY
Bev is a tiny 4'9", six stone bundle of dynamite. Petite, very attractive, blonde and blue-eyed with a lovely smile and an amazingly powerful, superbly ranged voice. Pint-sized Bev began her career when she was 6 in "Kangaroos on Parade" a radio series in her hometown of Adelaide, South Australia.
At the end of the 60's Bev became a household name. Her first recording "What am I Doing Here with You?" was an instant national No. 1 hit as were her two following records "Come on Over to My Place" and "One in a Million". In 1966 & 1967 Bev was awarded ”Australia’s best female vocal” and “album of the year” at The Major Network Awards (Now called the ARIA Awards). From that moment her career skyrocketed with many other music awards and tours with many international names including Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Winifred Atwell, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison.
The 70's began with tours through Europe, Canada (in Toronto Bev had her own television special "Two New"), the Caribbean, South Africa and South East Asia. In London Bev released a single written and produced by Maurice Gibb of the "Bee Gees" and, as England's representative in the 1971 Tokyo World Song Festival, Bev carried out the “Outstanding Composition and Performance” award.
"Bev Harrell - her final rendition of Memory is dynamic!"
- Advertiser Adelaide
Since then, Bev has performed with Charlie Drake in London, David Frost at the Opera House in Sydney, Ronnie Corbett's Australian tour, the Hilton Hotel of Asia, the Southern Sun Hotel and Casino chain in South Africa, the Landdrost hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Hotel Indonesia, Jakarta and along with The Supremes, opened the Manza Beach Hotel in Okinawa, Japan and appeared regularly on most Australian national television variety shows.
In January 1987 Bev was chosen to entertain on the exclusive ship "Sea Goddess" which operates out of New York. "Sea Goddess" was brought out especially for the "Americas Cup" in Fremantle, Western Australia. Bev's performance was so successful her initial contract was extended from one to eight weeks.
Bev is known to many people for her lead role as Grizabella in the Australian and New Zealand tour of the musical “Cats”, where she wooed the multitude with a Cataclysmic performance of the song “Memory”.
"Bev Harrell as Griza Bella wooed the multitudes with a cataclysmic performance of Memory's."
- Sunday Mail
"Bev Harrell's heart rendering Memory nearly blew the roof off His Majesty's Theatre."
- Daily News Perth
"An emotional highlight of the show was the aged, forlorn ex glamour puss Griza Bellaplayed by Australian singer Bev Harrell."
- New Zealand Review
"Bev Harrell is brilliant in the pivot role of Griza Bella."
- Newcastle Post
"Petite Bev Harrell made the faded Griza Bella a tiny fearful figure in her 1st sad rendition of Memory's, at the end of the 1st act. When she sings it again near the end of the show, it is a surging cry of OPTIMISM and deservedly brought cries for an encore."
- Newcastle Herald
