Simone Stacey

Biography

Simone Angela Stacey was born in about December 1978 and grew up in Cairns, Queensland. In 1999 she attended TAFE North: Cairns campus, studying an ATSIC-sponsored music course. Her first job was working in a deli.

2001–06: Shakaya

In August 2001 Simone Stacey performed at a showcase at Sony Music Entertainment in Sydney, after which she signed with Sony along with fellow singer-songwriter, Naomi Wenitong. The pair had met while studying at TAFE North. They formed a pop duo, Shakaya.

Shakaya's debut single "Stop Calling Me" was released in January 2002, it was co-written by Stacey, Wenitong and Reno Nicastro, their manager and producer. The lyrics are based on the life experiences of Stacey, Wenitong and their friends. It is the duo's highest charting single, reaching No. 5 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

The group's debut self-titled album, released 5 October 2002, peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Their second album, Are You Ready, released 5 March 2006, did not chart.

Shakaya disbanded in 2006 when Wenitong formed a hip-hop group, The Last Kinection, with her brother Joel Wenitong and Jacob Turier, in Newcastle. From 2006 to 2011 Stacey took a hiatus from the music industry and "worked a range of jobs, most recently helping people living with disabilities, but she never stopped thinking about music and continued to write songs in her spare time."

2011 to present: Return

By October 2011 Stacey had resumed her music career and was featured on "Are We There Yet?", a single by The Last Kinection. In April 2013 she auditioned for Season 2 of The Voice. She chose Seal as her coach. Her blind audition was a cover version of Nat King Cole's "For Sentimental Reasons". Stacey was eliminated in a Battle Round against Michelle Martinez.

In May 2013 she released her single, "My Pledge", on her own label, Diamond Dove. The lyrics deal with the blackbirding of her great grandfather and about honouring and respecting one's elders. At the Deadly Awards 2013 Stacey was nominated for Single Release of the Year for "My Pledge", and for Female Artist of the Year.

In April 2015 Stacey and Wenitong collaborated for a charity single providing cover versions of "Black Roses" (originally by Inner Circle) and "Long as I Can See the Light" (Creedence Clearwater Revival). Proceeds were donated to community members affected by the Cairns child killings of the previous December. As from January 2015 Stacey was as a child safety worker in Cairns.

Stacey wrote the music for the Australian short film, On Stage, which is due to premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on 10 June 2015.

Albums

Singles