Stephen Cummings

Australian singer Stephen Cummings earned respect and critical praise throughout a lengthy career that never yielded major chart successes. He launched his work in the mid-'70s as a member of Melbourne's the Pelaco Brothers, then spent six years leading the Sports until their 1981 breakup. His first single, "We All Make Mistakes," appeared in January 1983, followed by the dance-oriented debut album Senso in August 1984. A standalone single, "What Am I Going to Do?," arrived in August 1985, and the more restrained This Wonderful Life followed in September 1986. In 1987 he teamed with former Sports guitarist Andrew Pendlebury on the single "She Set Fire to the House."

The understated Lovetown surfaced in January 1988, prompting Cummings to assemble Stephen Cummings Lovetown for live dates. His third album, A New Kind of Blue, received the 1989 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album. Good Humour returned to a dance sound upon its 1990 release, whereas Unguided Tour shifted toward rock in 1992. Steve Kilbey of the Church handled production on the next two releases, Falling Swinger (1994) and Escapist (1996). During this period Cummings also recorded the duet "Fell From a Great Height" with Toni Childs. His debut novel, Wonder Boy, reached bookstores in 1996, and the 1997 compilation Puppet Pauper Pirate Poet Pawn & King collected earlier material. Cummings further supplied the voice and co-wrote the music for the Australian Medibank Private television campaign I Feel Better Now.