24/08/2026
THIS WEEKEND...
Some performers step onto a stage. Wendy Stapleton feels like she has grown up on one.
Her story starts at just nine years old, making her professional debut at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne.
By 16, she was already working as a professional vocalist, and from there her career moved through Australian rock, theatre, television and some seriously iconic stages.
She signed with Mushroom Records in 1979, fronted Wendy & The Rocketts, toured across Australia and overseas, and built a career alongside names like John Farnham, Glen Shorrock, Jon English and Joe Camilleri. Then came Dusty.
Wendy has spent years bringing Dusty Springfield’s music to life, not as a simple tribute, but as a performer who understands the voice, the glamour, the heartbreak and the joy behind the songs.
Joining Wendy for a special guest appearance is her husband and longtime musical collaborator, Paul Norton. A celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist in his own right, Paul rose to national prominence with his 1989 hit Stuck on You, which reached number three on the Australian charts and achieved gold status. His career has taken him from Melbourne’s pub-rock circuit and the band The Runners to a solo deal with Mushroom Records, Hillbilly Moon and the nationwide Countdown Spectacular tour.
Paul and Wendy’s story has unfolded both on and off the stage. Wendy performed in the Paul Norton Band, the pair later worked together in Hillbilly Moon, and they recorded the Neighbours television theme used from 1999 to 2001. Their Airlie Beach appearance brings together two performers whose lives and musical careers have been intertwined for decades.
Dusty Springfield show | Saturday 29 August | 2pm - 5:30pm
Secure your table here for the Saturday show - https://airliebeachhotel.com.au/events/dusty-springfield/
The Swinging sixties | Sunday 30 August | 2pm - 5:30pm
Secure your table for the Sunday show here - https://airliebeachhotel.com.au/events/swinging-sixties/
