Samantha Sang Pays Tribute To Judith Durham

Judith Durham’s longtime friend, international singing star Samantha Sang, has paid tribute to Judith Durham.

Judith passed away on Friday at age 79 after a brief stay in the Alfred Hospital. Judith was admitted to the Palliative Care Clinic on Friday 5 August, where she passed away peacefully that evening. Her death was a result of complications from a long-standing chronic lung disease.

Samantha recalled her years of friendship with Judith for Noise11.com. “Judith was the greatest superstar. Unique and humble. She was brilliant and a great friend and I just want to say all my love and that one day in heaven Judith and I are going to meet again and sing together again,” Samantha said.

Samantha, who shot to international fame with her 1977 hit song ‘Emotion’, written for her by Barry and Robin Gibb, tells Noise11, “When I did the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, I’ll never forget this, Judith came in all the way on a tram and saw my concert and came to the party after. I said ‘you can’t go back on a tram, Judith’. It didn’t worry her in the slightest. And I would go to her concerts. You should have heard us sing together. You wouldn’t have thought that Judith and I would sing well together but we did. We were unbelievable”.

Barry Gibb urged The Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood to sign Samantha. He did and then Barry and Maurice Gibb wrote her song ‘Love of a Woman”. ‘Emotion’ reached no 2 on the Australian chart and no 3 in the USA. While millions were fans of Samantha, Samantha was a fan of Judith Durham. “She is an icon, She will always be an icon. She was The Seekers,” Samantha said.

Judith Durham passed away at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne around 7pm on Friday, 5 August. She was 79. A state funeral for Judith has been announced by Victorian Premier Dan Andrews. A date will be confirmed soon.

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