Catherine Yvette Ceberano AM[1] (/səˈbrɑːnoʊ/ or /sɛbəˈrɑːnoʊ/, born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar.
Catherine Yvette[4] Ceberano was born in Melbourne, Australia, to an American father of Filipino descent[5] and an Australian mother.
[6] Her maternal forebears were some of the earliest settlers and government officials in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
[5] Ceberano first came to prominence singing back-up vocals with Melbourne, Australia band Models.
I'm Talking are acknowledged as the band "who pioneered New York-style art pop in Australia during the Jurassic Period of Pub Rock".
The group's debut album, Bear Witness, included three top ten singles and achieved a platinum sales certification.
[9] In 1988, she collaborated with Wendy Matthews on the album You've Always Got The Blues, which was the soundtrack to the ABC Television show Stringer.
In 1992, she joined the cast of the Australian national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, taking the role of Mary Magdalene.
[13] Three singles were released from the album, including "Everything's Alright" (with John Farnham and Jon Stevens), which peaked at No.
[15] Ceberano travelled to New York and recorded a number of songs which were to appear of an album with the working title of Globe.
In the early 2000s, Ceberano made a further attempt at the US market by relocating to Los Angeles and signing with Chicago Kid Records, which released her single "Yes" in 2002.
Returning to Australia, Ceberano signed with an Australian manager and released her 2003 studio album The Girl Can Help It.
In 2007, Ceberano saluted the 1980s with her cover album Nine Lime Avenue, which was recorded in three weeks while she was on television show Dancing with the Stars.
Ceberano toured in late 2007 before recording another cover album, released in 2008, titled So Much Beauty, which peaked at No.
On 17 October 2018, Ceberano confirmed that she will reunite with I'm Talking, who will return to the stage in 2019 for to support Bryan Ferry's Australian tour.
[25] Ceberano made her acting debut in a feature film, playing Jenna in Dust Off The Wings, directed by her husband, Lee Rogers.
[27] In 1999, Ceberano starred in the film Molokai: The Story of Father Damien, which was directed by Paul Cox.
[28] In 2005, Ceberano was a judge in the inaugural season of X Factor Australia, along with Mark Holden and John Reid, before joining Dancing with the Stars in 2007, of which she was crowned champion.
Late that year, Ceberano participated in series 2 of It Takes Two, where she mentored Australian swimmer Daniel Kowalski.
She returned in 2008 for series 3 and mentored Australian Football League (AFL) player Russell Robertson, who would go on to be runner-up.
"[7] From August to October 2012, she played the part of Bloody Mary in the Bartlett Sher directed revival of the musical South Pacific throughout the Australian east coast.
[33] On 3 October 2015, she sang the Australian national anthem before AFL Grand Final at the MCG in Melbourne, Australia.
[36][37] Portraits of Ceberano have twice won the Archibald Packing Room Prize: Peter Robertson's in 1994 and Kathrin Longhurst's in 2021.
[49][50][51] The 1986 awards ceremony was held on 19 July 1987 at Sydney Opera House, it followed the last regular Countdown show.
In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Ceberano was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts, particularly music, as a singer, songwriter and entertainer, and to charitable organisations.