Zan Abeyratne
| Zan Abeyratne | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Suzanne Abeyratne |
| Also known as | Zan |
| Origin | London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, singer |
| Instruments | Singing |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | I'm Talking, Models, INXS |
Suzanne "Zan" Abeyratne, or simply Zan, is an Australian-raised singer born in London. Known for her beautifully soulful voice, Zan came to prominence as one of the female lead vocalists of the 1980s Australian band, I'm Talking,[1][2] which included the equally powerful vocal skills of Kate Ceberano. Zan sang lead vocal on the I'm Talking single "Holy Word", which peaked at #9 in Australia,[3] and #21 in New Zealand[4] in 1986.
Along with her twin sister Sherine (a member of Big Pig), Zan supplied her power-house backing vocals to Models, INXS, U2, and toured the world with other bands. After the demise of I'm Talking in 1987, Zan had a brief solo recording career in Australia, America, and England. Her 1989 single "It's Your Move" peaked at #82 on the Australian ARIA singles chart.[5]
She also featured briefly in the episode "Santa Claws" in season 1 of Australian children's comedy series Round the Twist.
Biography
Suzanne (later shortened to Zan) and her twin sister, Sherine Abeyratne, were born in London. Their family migrated to Australia and both became vocalists in bands together and separately from 1978.
References
- General
- McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Whammo Homepage". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2010. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
- Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry; with notes by Ed Nimmervoll (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[6] Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
- Specific
- ↑ McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry for 'I'm Talking'. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ↑ Spencer et al, (2007) , Zan entry. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 145. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "charts.org.nz > I'm Talking – Holy Word (song)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ↑ "Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry". catalogue. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
