David Campbell

David Campbell spent his childhood in Adelaide’s suburban outskirts, where his grandmother Joan—who had raised him—regularly spun albums by Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. Those early encounters sparked an enduring fascination with classic entertainers, among them Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin along with other old-school icons. By the mid-’90s he had secured leading parts at Sydney’s Stables Theatre, earning a nomination for the MO Award as Best Musical Theatre Performer. His first solo album, Yesterday Is Now, appeared in 1997 and drew widespread notice from listeners and reviewers alike; New York critics soon hailed him as “the best young crooner on earth.” After appearing on Broadway in 2001, Campbell chose to emulate his father, Jimmy Barnes, by shifting toward rock & roll, spending several years performing in pubs rather than theaters and fronting a rock ensemble instead of an orchestra. In 2006 he pivoted once more, issuing the jazz tribute The Swing Sessions under the guidance of producer Chong Lim. That same year he received the Helpmann Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Sunset Boulevard. Looking ahead, he envisioned a three-part series that would open with The Sing Sessions and continue with the planned albums Broadway and Hollywood.