Grace Knight

Grace Ethel Knight (born 23 December 1955) is an English-born Australian vocalist and songwriter.

Grace Knight was born in 1955 in Manchester, England.

She met guitarist and singer Bernie Lynch who fronted a new wave band, Rip Torn and the Stockings, in the late 1970s.

She performed as a cabaret singer in folk clubs from 1976.

She competed in a semi-final of a national talent quest as a duo and consequently travelled to Dubai to perform, where she met Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

In 1977, she obtained a gig on a cruise ship to Perth, Western Australia, her set included covering Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night and performed twice a night for six weeks.

Knight relocated to Perth, Western Australia, in 1977 where she performed in a number of local bands.

During the 1980s she was a mainstay of pop group Eurogliders which formed in Perth, Western Australia.

Knight later became a solo jazz singer and musician based in Sydney.

They became domestic partners and together formed the band Living Single in 1980 with Crispin Akerman on guitar, Don Meharry on bass guitar, Guy Slingerland on drums and Amanda Vincent on keyboards.

By 1981, drummer John Bennetts replaced Slingerland and the band changed their name to Eurogliders; domestically, Knight and Lynch had separated.

In 1984, Eurogliders released an Australian top ten album, This Island, which spawned their No. 2 hit single, "Heaven (Must Be There)".

"Heaven" also peaked at No. 21 on the United States' Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and appeared on the Hot 100.

The song, written by Eurogliders' guitarist, Bernie Lynch, and vocals by Knight, was their only hit in United States.

Eurogliders' second album, This Island, was released in May 1984 and peaked at No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart.

The single "Heaven (Must Be There)", written by Lynch and also released in May, reached No. 2 on the Australian singles charts, No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 21 on its Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

The album peaked at No. 140 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Between 1984 and 1986, Eurogliders toured Australia, the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and New Zealand.

Knight and Lynch married in 1985 but separated soon after.

Another Australian top ten album, Absolutely, followed for Eurogliders in 1985, which provided three further local top ten singles, "We Will Together", "The City of Soul" and "Can't Wait to See You".

At the height of the band's success, Knight and Lynch reconciled their relationship and were married in 1985 but the union was short-lived.

Despite their marital separation, they stayed together in the band for another four years.

In Australia, "Heaven" was followed by three more top 10 hits.

Since Eurogliders disbanded in 1989, Knight has had a successful career as a jazz singer.

Further albums followed, but late in 1989, the Eurogliders had a 'hiatus' due to Grace's new found Jazz success.

After Eurogliders disbanded in 1989, Knight sang backing vocals in the Tania Bowra Band, and made a cameo appearance as Lola, a 1940s night club singer, in the 1990 Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV series Come In Spinner.

She also sang on its soundtrack album, Vince Jones & Grace Knight: Come in Spinner, produced by Martin Armiger, recorded with jazz musician Vince Jones with arrangements by William Motzing and Derek Williams.

The album earned platinum sales and peaked at No. 4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums charts.

It included jazz standards with half the tracks having lead vocals by Jones, including a single, "I've Got You Under My Skin".

Two singles with lead vocals by Knight were also released, "The Man I Love" and "Sophisticated Lady", and this started a new career for Knight as a jazz singer.

Knight made a cameo appearance in the 1990 TV series Come In Spinner and sang on its soundtrack, Come in Spinner, recorded with jazz artist Vince Jones, which peaked at No. 4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums charts.

This launched a new career for Knight, with her first solo album, Stormy Weather, which peaked at No. 16 in 1991.

Her first solo album, Stormy Weather, produced by Larry Muhoberac, was released in October 1991 and peaked at No. 16.

Her debut solo single, "Fever", was released in September 1991 but did not peak into the top 50 singles charts.

At the 1992 ARIA Music Awards, Stormy Weather was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album and Peter Cobbin was nominated for Engineer of the Year for his work on four of its tracks.

Other solo albums followed, Gracious in 1993, Live in 1996 and Zeitgeist in 2000.

Knight's second solo album, Gracious, appeared in November 1993.

It contained "big, brassy and busy arrangements of standards" and included work by 43 session musicians.

Eurogliders briefly reformed with Lynch and Knight in 2005 to release two additional albums by 2007.

Knight returned to her solo career and released Willow in 2008.