Melinda Schneider (born Melinda-Jane Bean; 7 October 1971) is an Australian country music singer.[1] She has been performing since she was three and sang with her mother, yodelling country artist Mary Schneider, on the album The Magic of Yodelling at the age of eight.[2]
Schneider studied dance as a child and made her acting debut on the popular Australian drama A Country Practice when aged thirteen.[4] She also sang the theme music for the ABC TV series Something in the Air.
In 1994, Schneider featuring on Audio Murphy Inc.'s dance track "Tighten Up Your Pants" which peaked at number 39 on the ARIA Chart.[5] The song mixed electronic beats and yodelling. The success of "Tighten Up Your Pants" earned her a three-album deal with Festival Records. Unsure of what kind of singer she wanted to be, Schneider foundered, eventually quitting Festival without making an album.[4]
In 1999, Schneider performed the duet "Love Away the Night" with Adam Brand. In January 2000, the song won Schneider her first CMAA Award for Vocal Collaboration of the Year.
In 2000, Schneider released her debut studio album, My Oxygen.[4] The album was recorded with the Nashville-based Australian producer Mark Moffatt.[4]
In July 2002, Schneider released her second studio album, Happy Tears, which peaked at number 94 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold. Happy Tears was produced by her husband of five years, Graham Thompson, and released on his Compass Bros label.[4]
In 2003, Schneider won her the first solo Golden Guitar for Female Vocal of the Year.[5]
In May 2004, Schneider released Family Tree, which peaked at number 64 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold. The album earner Schneider her first ARIA Music Award nomination.
In 2006, Schneider was invited by Deborah Conway to take part in the Broad Festival project with three other Australian female artists. They performed their own and each other's songs.[6] With Schneider and Conway were Mia Dyson, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ella Hooper.[7]
In 2010, Schneider was a participant on the ABC Television program Bush Slam and a celebrity contestant on the Channel 7 show Dancing with the Stars partnered by Serghei Bolgarschii in Season 10.[8]
In 2011, Schneider starred in the theatre show Doris: So Much More Than the Girl Next Door, written by Schneider and David Mitchell. The show told the story of Doris Day's life and was first performed at the Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane in May 2011.
In November 2014, Schneider released Great Women of Country, a collaboration with Beccy Cole. The album became her first to peak inside the ARIA top ten.
In 2022, Schneider performed a two-hour show titled Love Songs, celebrating the love she has found with her long-time partner, Mark Gable. In May 2022, Schneider released a compilation album of the same name.[9]
Personal life
Schneider is the daughter of singer-songwriter and yodeller Mary Schneider.
She attended St Joseph's Kogarah (now known as Bethany College) for her high school years.[10]
Schneider is married to Mark Gable, the lead singer of the Choirboys. They were married in September 2022 on Killcare Beach, New South Wales, after 14 years together.[11]
Radio
Schneider was the host of her own radio progrsam, Love Songs with Melinda Schneider, on Star 104.5 FM. The program aired every weeknight in 2015 from 8 pm. As the title indicates, the program was focused on songs of a romantic nature. This was Schneider's first radio program as host.
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Schneider has been nominated for two awards.[19]
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Melinda Schneider won eleven awards in that time.[21]
