Judith Durham, an Australian pop pioneer and ‘Georgy Girl’ singer, died at the age of 79.

• Judith Durham, Australian pop-folk singer has died at the age of 79
• “Once, the best known Australian voice was Judith Durham´s”, said arts minister Tony Burke.
• He further added “What a contribution. What a loss.”

Judith Durham, the ethereal-voiced Australian pop-folk singer who fronted hit 1960s group The Seekers, has died at the age of 79, the country’s arts minister announced Saturday.

Durham, who was born in Melbourne in 1943, rose to international prominence with upbeat hits like “Georgy Girl” and a string of covers and collaborations with artists such as Paul Simon.

“Once, the best known Australian voice was Judith Durham´s”, said arts minister Tony Burke.

“With The Seekers and solo Judith earned her place as an icon of our music”, he added.

Burke recounted one 1967 gig that was attended by a tenth of Melbourne´s entire population at the time.

“What a contribution. What a loss.”

Aside from “Georgy Girl,” Durham’s soaring range and pseudo-operatic style are perhaps best known for “The Carnival is Over,” which sold over a million copies in the United Kingdom alone and topped the charts for weeks.

The Seekers are still a household name in Australia, and younger Australians know them for the song “I am an Australian,” which is still the theme song of the country’s public broadcaster.

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