Wikipedia

Paulie Stewart

Paul Michael Stewart OAM (born 1960 or 1961) is an Australian singer-songwriter and trumpeter, journalist and writer. He is the founding mainstay of pub rock band, Painters and Dockers (1982-1998, 2014-2019). With fellow members of that group Stewart formed the Dili Allstars in 1992. The Painters and Dockers were inducted into the Age Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. The group issued four studio albums and staged over 1500 performances across Australia, New Zealand and North America. He issued his autobiography, All the Rage, in 2022.

Paulie Stewart
Born
Paul Michael Stewart

1960 or 1961 (age 63–64)
Occupation(s)Musician, journalist
Years active1979 (1979)–present
Known forMember of Painters and Dockers, the Dili Allstars
Notable workAll the Rage
PartnerDonna Brown fl. 2000s
ChildrenAretha Brown

Early and personal life

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Paul Michael Stewart,[1] (born 1960 or 1961)[2][3] was raised in the Melbourne inner suburb of St Kilda,[4] as the fourth of five children.[5] With his former partner and Indigenous artist Donna Brown, he is the parent of Indigenous activist and artist, Aretha Brown.[2][6] While Stewart remained in Melbourne, the Browns moved to Nambucca Heads, New South Wales to be closer to their Gumbaynggirr clan, during Aretha's primary school years.[7] From mid-2010s Aretha returned to live with Stewart for secondary and tertiary education.[7] He is also the father of another daughter from an earlier relationship.[2] Stewart received a liver transplant in 2007 and spent 18 months in hospital recovering.[5][8] Since mid-2010s Stewart has resided in Williamstown, Victoria and worked as a project officer with Jesuit Social Services.[6] In September 2021 he was diagnosed with encephalopathy.[5]

Balibo

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When Stewart was 14 years old, his older brother Tony Stewart, a television journalist and sound recordist, died in October 1975 as one of the Balibo Five: a group of foreign journalists killed in Balibo by invading Indonesian forces in Portuguese Timor (later renamed East Timor).[3][9][10] Their deaths inspired the 2009 film Balibo.[11] Stewart was the subject of ABC-TV programme Compass's documentary, "My Brother, Balibo and Me", originally broadcast on 9 August 2009.[3][12][13]

Journalism and All the Rage

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Stewart began his career as a cadet journalist in 1979 working for The Herald and Weekly Times and The Herald Sun.[5][14] He later worked as a music journalist for "many years".[15] Stewart published his autobiography in 2022, All the Rage.[2] Michael Dwyer of The Sydney Morning Herald found it is an "inspiring guide" to both Stewart's music career and social activism while avoiding "anger and despair", which have consumed others.[16]

Painters and Dockers

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Main article: Painters and Dockers

Painters and Dockers were formed in 1982 in Melbourne as a pub rock band by Stewart on lead vocals and trumpet, Vladimir Juric on guitars and backing vocals, Andy Marron on drums, Phil Nelson on bass guitar and Chris O'Connor on guitars and backing vocals.[15][17] They released four studio albums, Love Planet (1984), Kiss My Art (1988), Touch One, Touch All (1989) and The Things That Matter (1994) before disbanding in 1998. The subsequently reunited in 2014 and disbanded again in 2019.[15][17] Their only charting album Kiss My Art reached the top 30 on ARIA Charts,[18] while their most popular singles "Nude School" and "Die Yuppie Die" (both 1987) peaked in the top 50 on Kent Music Report singles chart.[19] Stewart co-wrote the latter song with Juric, Morris and O'Connor.[20]

Dili Allstars

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Main article: Dili Allstars

Stewart also co-founded the East Timorese-Australian band, Dili Allstars in 1992. He had attended a rally in St Kilda to support East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmão, who had been captured by Indonesian forces in November of that year.[3] At that rally Stewart met Gil Santos, an East Timorese emigré and Gusmão supporter, together they formed the reggae-ska group.[15] Dili Allstars provided two tracks, "Hey Lord Don't Ask Me Questions" and "Liberdade", for Balibo's soundtrack. Stewart co-wrote the latter song with Santos, Billy Abbott and Mark McCartney.[21] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, the album won the Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album.[22]

The band have released three albums, EPs, and a compilation via ABC Music. They toured internationally, performing in Australia, East Timor, Portugal and Brazil and have raised funds for East Timorese charities.[5] Stewart raised funds for the ALMA (Asossiasi Lembaga Misionaris Awam; English: Association of Lay Missionaries for the poor and the disabled)[23] nuns – five Indonesian Catholic women who supported disabled children as physiotherapists – whom he met while working on Balibo with Dili Allstars.[3][24]

Accolades

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Stewart is the first recipient of the Essence of St Kilda essay award.[16] He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day (26 January) 2020 for "service to the community, and to the performing arts."[1]

Bibliography

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  • Madden, Evonne; Layzell, Anita; Leek, Lisa; Stephens, Penny; Philbey, Martin; Stewart, Paulie (2021), Life after : a testament to human resilience, 60 Australians on coming to terms with grief, Affirm Press, ISBN 978-1-922626-40-0
  • Stewart, Paulie (2022), Paulie Stewart: All the Rage, Melbourne Books, ISBN 978-1-922779-01-4

References

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  1. ^ a b "Award Extract - Australian Honours Search Facility". Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Northover, Kylie (8 December 2022). "Why this rock icon calls East Timorese nuns his punk heroes". The Age. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Compass - 31/01/2010: 'My Brother, Balibo and Me' (RPT)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Paulie Stewart". The Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stafford, Andrew (5 December 2022). "How Painters and Dockers' hedonistic rocker Paulie Stewart cheated death – with help from some 'punk' nuns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b Dmytryshchak, Goya (28 January 2020). "OAM for Painters and Dockers' Paulie Stewart". Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b Fryer, Brooke (26 January 2019). "Not every Indigenous person wants to change the date: Aretha Brown". NITV (SBS-TV). Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Ross, Annabel (10 December 2014). "Painters and Dockers reunite to play Meredith Music Festival". The Age. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ Kennedy, Les (17 October 2005). "New search for answers on Balibo Five". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  10. ^ McDonald, Hamish (17 November 2007). "Balibo Five deliberately killed: coroner". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  11. ^ Hyland, Tom (31 May 2009). "No action on Rudd's Balibo vow". The Sunday Age. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ Donovan, Patrick (25 September 2009). "Dockers to rock again". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Balibo - Review - Photos". OzMovies. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  14. ^ Hamilton, Andrew (17 November 2022). "Rocker, writer, activist: The many lives of Paulie Stewart". Eureka Street. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ a b c d * 1st edition [online]: McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Painters and Dockers'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 1 October 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
    • 2nd edition [print]: McFarlane, Ian; Jenkins, Jeff (foreword) (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Painters & Dockers'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. p. 358. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  16. ^ a b Dwyer, Michael (23 December 2022). "An inspiring guide to family tragedy, rock'n'roll and the wider world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  17. ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus; Miles, Richard. "Painters and Dockers". Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 1 March 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  18. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Painters & Dockers". Australian Charts Portal (Hung Medien). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 228. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Die Yuppie Die'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Liberdade'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  22. ^ "2009 ARIA Awards Winners". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ Collins, Clare (17 August 2009). "Balibo Five Brother Paul Stewart Launches National Campaign to Help Disabled East Timorese Kids". NewsMaker. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ Mahoney, Neve (2 November 2020). "Paulie and the punk rock nuns". Australian Catholics. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
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