Bella (Australian band)

Bella
Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	2002 in Newcastle, Australia
Founder	Kate Ballantyne, Lyn Bowtell, Karen O'Shea
Defunct	2006
Headquarters	Newcastle, Australia
Products	Music albums, singles

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Bella (Australian band), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 202510 sources

Bella was a country music trio originating from Newcastle, Australia. Initially formed in 2002 under the name Anam Cara by Kate Ballantyne, Lyn Bowtell, and Karen O'Shea, the group issued a single album titled Gravity in January 2005 before dissolving in 2006.

History

The group came together in 2002 in Newcastle, adopting the name Anam Cara, which translates from Celtic as "soul mate." The lineup consisted of Ballantyne, Bowtell, and O'Shea.^[1] Each member had previously achieved recognition at the Star Maker Quest during the Tamworth Country Music Festival: Bowtell secured the title in 1997, Ballantyne followed in 1998, and O'Shea was among the grand finalists in 1999.^[2]

Kate Ballantyne (born Katrina Aitken, February 1970) began her professional music career at age 14 and released three solo albums between 1994 and 1999. Bowtell (born ) had been part of Southern Steel, which produced the album Headed South in 1996. Additionally, Bowtell and O'Shea collaborated on the track "I Can Fly" for the compilation album Outback Adventures (1997). O'Shea started her musical journey with the Sublimes in Darwin; by 2002 she owned a mango farm and had launched her debut album Wish.^[3]^[4]^[5]

By mid-2003, Anam Cara underwent a rebranding to become Bella.^[6] Their first single, "Tumblin' Down," was released in September of that year under AgSongs after the label's proprietors discovered them performing live in Newcastle.^[7] The track was co-written by American songwriters Melissa Peirce and Jerry Salley.^[8] In 2004, Bella followed up with their second single, "About a Girl," penned by Bowtell. The group earned Golden Guitar awards for Vocal Group or Duo of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia in both 2004 and 2005 for these singles.^[9]

Their sole album, Gravity, was released on 17 January 2005 through Sony/BMG. It featured the single "She Still Believes," co-written by Bowtell and Salley, which reached the top 100 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Bella dissolved in 2006 due to complications with their record label and personal life changes: Bowtell pursued a Bachelor of Music following her father's passing; Ballantyne shifted her focus to teaching; and O'Shea married and settled in Hunter Valley.^[10] Bowtell resumed her solo career in 2011.^[10]

In October 2014, Bella reunited for the She Still Believes Farewell Tour extending into 2015,^[7]^[10] culminating with their final appearance at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2016.^[7]

Albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
Title	Details	AUS
Gravity	Released: 17 January 2005 Label: Sony Music Australia/BMG (SBME 82876649862) Format: CD	129

Extended plays

Title	Information
Tumblin' Down	Date of release: 1 September 2003 Record label: AgSongs Medium: CD

Singles

Singles released as lead artist, including highest chart rankings
Title	Year	Highest chart position	Album
Title	Year	AUS	Album
"Tumblin' Down"	2003	—	Tumblin' Down
"About a Girl"	2004	—	Gravity
"She Still Believes"	2005	99	Gravity

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA), commonly referred to as the Golden Guitar Awards, is an annual ceremony held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Since 1973, it has celebrated outstanding achievements in Australian country music.

|- | 2004 | "Tumblin' Down" performed by Bella | Vocal Group or Duo of the Year | |- | 2005 | "About a Girl" performed by Bella | Vocal Group or Duo of the Year |

Only award victories are listed

References

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