REBECCA BARNARD comes from a rich musical family history. In the 1920’s her grandparents Jim and Kath Barnard ran The Kath Barnard Jazz Band. Their son Len (Rebecca’s father) joined the band in the 1940’s at the age of 12. In 1952 The Len Barnard Jazz Band recorded Australia’s first microgroove LP record and toured extensively both here and overseas until his death in 2005.
Rebecca grew up listening to Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong spending a lot of time in the pubs of Melbourne and Sydney listening to her Dad’s band and eventually getting up and singing with them at the age of 13. At the age of 14 she heard Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan and became obsessed. The cross pollination of musical styles is evident in her music… especially her vocal phrasing.
Rebecca spent many years in various bands refining her live performance and vocal skills. She was asked to be backing singer for Stephen Cummings as he was starting his solo career post The Sports. She went on to record and tour with Cummings for the next 10 years. This is where she met Shane O’Mara (They were married in 1989 and have a son Harry but separated lovingly in 2009).