Tributes flowed for accomplished Meriam entertainer and broadcaster Candy Devine as she was laid to rest last week in Brisbane.
The celebrated performer passed away at the age of 85 after a short illness.
Entertainer extraordinaire Candy Devine (aka Faye McLeod) never dreamed of the brilliant life and career she had, she just said, “yes” to everything that came her way.
A stellar career took her from being a regular face on Australian television in the 50s and 60s on Channel 7 and the ABC, to singing around the world on stage, film and in theatre, to Belfast in Northern Ireland in the 70s where she became a household name on Downtown Radio as a presenter and journalist.
Candy was the first woman to enter the Irish Broadcasting Hall of Fame and in 2014 she was awarded an MBE for her services to British Broadcasting.
Candy’s passion for performing started with her family.
As a child her mother, Ivy Guivarra founded the Cairns-based popular Coloured Social Club at the Regal Dance Hall and her father Thomas was the musical director of shows and dances where she performed with her cousins Wilma Reading and Dulcie Flower.
She studied singing, piano and cello at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in the late 50s and in Brisbane she signed a contract with ATN Channel 7 television and appeared on many programs including Beauty and the Beast, the Johnny O’Keefe Show and the Paul Hogan Show.
In his first episode in 1973 Hogan introduced her stating:
“My next guest reckons her ancestors have been in Australia longer than mine... Candy Devine.”
In the late 60s ABC Television appointed her as the first presenter of the music program “In Key”.
In the evenings, Candy sang at night clubs like the El Morocco night club in Sydney and she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Sammy Davis Jnr, Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey and Winifred Attwell on the entertainment scene.
Her friends included actor J G Devlin, Graeme Bell and singer Frankie Davidson.
Her penchant for travel saw Candy perform around the world in travelling shows and films and she released an album, Candy sings Devine in the UK.
It was there she met her husband Donald McLeod, an entertainment agent and in the late 60s they settled in Belfast Northern Ireland. She formed a solid career at Downtown Radio where she did more than 40 years of broadcasting and delighted audiences.
Candy Devine with her son Alastair McLeod, celebrity chef.
Stream free On Demand
Candy Devine - Entertainer Extraordinaire
episode • Living Black • Current Affairs • 24m
episode • Living Black • Current Affairs • 24m
Tributes to the accomplished entertainer noted her likeable nature, positive outlook and passion for life and family. Her legacy is an unrivalled career from a time prior to the recognition of First Nations Australians.
