Toni Lamond: Learn English As You Sing Along

“Toni Lamond is not a performer, she is a force of nature…” began one of the reviews for Toni’s most recent new theatre piece, Times Of My Life.

At 80 years of age, this continues to be true with Toni still performing, teaching, writing and coming up with interesting new projects. Her latest project is Learn English As You Sing Along. After a flippant comment by a taxi driver, Toni realised many newcomers to Australia enjoyed listening to music and singing along – and through the songs, learning English words. So she chose ten popular, easy listening songs and recorded them in her clear articulate voice, along with an introduction to each, and created Learn English As You Sing Along.


In a constantly evolving career, Toni Lamond remains at the top of her profession. Born to an Australian show business dynasty, Toni’s career began at age 10 singing on the radio and touring with her parents’ variety shows and has since encompassed musical comedy, straight plays, recordings, film and cabaret. 

In Australia she went on to star in the original productions of The Pajama Game, Oliver!, Gypsy, Anything Goes, Tunnel Of Love and Wildcat. In the early 60’s, a television pioneer, she was a regular on Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight (IMT),ultimately hosting her ownIMT, the first woman in the world to do so.

In the UK she appeared in night clubs, revues, BBC-TV and BBC Radio. She recorded two singles for Phillips, London. Relocating to the US in the mid 70’s through the mid 90’s, her theatre credits included Mame, Oliver, Cabaret, Annie, Hello Dolly!, Nunsense, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Sherlocks' Last Case and 42nd Street.In TV she featured in Starsky And Hutch, The Bob Newhart Show, Eight Is Enough, You Can't Take It With You, Starman, The Tortelli's, Three's Company, Punky Brewster, Murder She Wrote, The Last Frontier, The Love Boat and Days Of Our Lives.

Returning to live in Australia, Toni was seen on the Australian stage in 42nd Street, The Follies Concert, Pirates Of Penzance, My Fair Lady, Walt Disney's Beauty And The Beast andOh Coward!, and on film in are Spotswood, How Wonderful, Running From The Guns andRazzle Dazzle. The two volumes of her autobiography are now available on Bolinda Audio Books.  On her own record label LOLLY LEGS,Toni can be heard on Still a Gypsy andThe Ultimate Singalong Vols 1, 2, 3 & 4. 

Toni has won two Logies, a Variety Club Award and a Mo Award. In 1993 she was presented with the Key to the City of Melbourne. In 2000 she was included in the Victorian Honours List of Women who Shaped The Nation, and in 2003 was awarded The Centenary of Federation Medal for “Services To The Community Through The Arts.” Toni has been awarded four Lifetime Achievement Awards - Green Room Awards, Sydney Theatre Awards, Glugs and in 2012 at the Helpmann awards, the JCW Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was presented with an Achievement Award by the City Of Sydney in recognition of “A Lifetime Contribution to Show Business and An Ongoing Commitment To The Nurturing Of New Talent” and the Order Of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

To purchase Learn English As You Sing Along, visit www.tonilamond.com

Image: Toni Lamond checks out Stage Whispers after receiving her JC Williamson Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2011 Helpmann Awards.