Rachael Leahcar
Rachael Leahcar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rachael Wendy Bartholomew February 22, 1994 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Contestant on The Voice Australia (2012) |
| Notable work | Shooting Star, Romantique, Here Comes the Sun, Shadows, Together For Christmas |
Rachael Wendy Bartholomew (born 22 February 1994), professionally known as Rachael Leahcar, is an Australian singer-songwriter hailing from Adelaide, South Australia. She rose to prominence as a contestant on the inaugural season of The Voice Australia, where she secured third place. After the show concluded, Leahcar signed a contract with Universal Music Australia. Her first album, Shooting Star, which combined performances from the competition alongside fresh cover tracks, was released on 13 July 2012 and entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number five.
1994–2011: Early years
Leahcar was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that left her legally blind with approximately 10% vision as of 2012.[1] She cultivated a strong interest in music from an early age, commencing vocal training at nine and frequently performing songs in Italian, reflecting her cultural background. At age 12, she became a member of the South Australian Public Primary Schools choir and gained entry into the music program at Brighton Secondary School. That same year, she reached the grand final of Fellini's Search for a Star, earning studio recording time at Quentin Eyres Studio.[2]
At 15, Leahcar won Dino Prizzi's International Festival of Song, which led to a trip to Rome where she appeared on RAI Uno television and took part in Italian tours. She also performed at various Italian venues and community events in Adelaide, including the Carnevale festivities in both 2010 and 2011.[2]
Leahcar was also victorious in the Star Life Talent Search, receiving monetary awards and recognition from SAFM radio host Andrew 'Cosi' Costello, who invited her to perform live on his show as well as at his wedding.[2]
In October 2009, she independently released her first cover album titled Rachael's Repertoire, pledging to donate one dollar per sale to the CanDo4Kids charity. This was soon followed by a second self-titled cover album.[2]
Completing her final year of secondary education in 2011, Leahcar was accepted into Flinders University’s Speech Pathology course but postponed her studies to focus on her music career full-time. Additionally, she acts as an ambassador for the Royal Society for the Blind and has featured in advertisements aired on the Nine Network.[2]
2012: The Voice Australia, recording contract and Shooting Star
Leahcar auditioned for the debut season of the Australian talent competition The Voice Australia, appearing in episode two on 16 April 2012 with a rendition of Edith Piaf's "La Vie en rose". All four coaches turned their chairs for her, and she chose Delta Goodrem as her mentor. During the Battle Rounds, Leahcar won against Adam Hoek performing Eva Cassidy's "Over the Rainbow", advancing to the Live Shows. She continued through subsequent stages with performances of Jewel's "Hands", "Someone to Watch Over Me", and "Nights in White Satin (Notte Di Luce)", ultimately reaching the Grand Final after being selected by Goodrem.
On 17 June 2012, during the Grand Final, Leahcar showcased her original composition "Shooting Star" alongside Charlie Chaplin's classic "Smile". She finished in third place on 18 June, earning a $20,000 award.
Following this success, on 26 June 2012, Leahcar and fellow finalists Sarah De Bono and Darren Percival secured recording contracts with Universal Music Australia. Leahcar’s debut single "Coming Home Again," penned by Jud Friedman as her intended winner’s single, was released digitally on 29 June 2012. Her debut album, Shooting Star, which debuted on 13 July 2012, features studio recordings of covers performed during The Voice, original songs, plus new interpretations of Bette Midler's "The Rose" and the Bee Gees' "Words". To promote the album, Leahcar held an in-store performance and signing event at Westfield Marion, Adelaide.
Performances
| Stage | Song performed | Original performer | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind Audition | "La Vie en rose" | Édith Piaf | Selected for Team Delta |
| Battle Rounds | "Over The Rainbow" (versus Adam Hoek) | Judy Garland | Advanced |
| Live Show Final, Part 1 | "Hands" | Jewel | Voted by the public |
| Live Show Final, Part 3 | "Someone to Watch Over Me" | Barbra Streisand | Voted by the public |
| Born to Try (with Team Delta) |
Delta Goodrem | ||
| Live Show Final, Part 5 | "Nights in White Satin" | The Moody Blues | Chosen by Delta |
| The Live Finale, Part 1 | "Smile" | Michael Jackson | Third place |
| "Shooting Star" | Rachael Leahcar | ||
| The Live Finale, Part 2 | "The Prayer" (duet with Delta Goodrem) |
Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli | |
| The Chain | Fleetwood Mac |
In July 2012, Leahcar participated in the charity concert special Voices Reaching Out alongside former The Voice contestants, supporting The Reach Foundation. The event, broadcast on the Nine Network, took place at The Palms within the Crown complex where she performed Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years". Her debut album Shooting Star entered the ARIA Charts at number five.
Leahcar was announced in August 2012 as the opening performer for Delta Goodrem's An Evening With Delta: The Top of My World Shows tour scheduled for October and November. Additionally, she contributed to a medley from The Sound of Music alongside Noah Stewart and violinist Sally Cooper on Stewart's Australian debut album released in September 2012.
2012–2014: Romantique and Here Comes the Sun
In July 2012, Leahcar revealed plans to compose new material and prepare a sophomore album aimed for release in 2013. On 24 March 2013, she confirmed via Twitter that her album Romantique would be launched on 26 April 2013, accompanied by a subsequent tour. She characterized the collection as containing "modern, timeless and original tracks supported by orchestral arrangements," selected from nearly one hundred initial songs. No singles were formally released; however, a music video was created for "Hearts a Mess."
On 24 December 2013, Leahcar performed Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl during Carols by Candlelight. She announced her third studio project titled Here Comes the Sun, featuring interpretations of Beatles songs, which was released on 11 April 2014.
2015–present: Cabaret show, Shadows, tour and Christmas album
Beginning work on her fourth studio album in April 2014, Leahcar collaborated with artists including singer-songwriter Josh Pyke. By September 2015, she was composing the album’s lead single "Sewn."
Following the passing of Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh in July 2015, Leahcar lent her vocals to "We Stand Together (Flying as One)," a tribute track by Adelaide band The BordererS featuring Taasha Coates and supporters from both Crows and Port Adelaide. She also provided vocal contributions to the South Australian short film Maurice's Symphony ("Song of Joy") and appeared vocally in the film Love & Love Only.
In June 2015, Leahcar announced a cabaret tour called The Colours of My Life, sharing her personal journey up to her experience on The Voice Australia. This tour commenced in July 2015 across arts centres in Adelaide suburbs and extended regionally and nationally until October 2019, featuring her guide dog Ella from the Royal Society for the Blind.
Leahcar released "Beware the Wolf" as the lead single from her fourth album Shadows in February 2017; the full album followed on 7 April 2017. She promoted the record with the Shadows Tour during November of that year.
On 25 October 2019, she released a Christmas-themed album titled Together For Christmas, which includes duets with Darren Mullan, Ben Whittington, Lara Nakhle, and fellow artist Grace Bawden.
Personal life
Leahcar completed her secondary education in 2011, finishing year 12, and was subsequently admitted to the Speech Pathology program at Flinders University. She initially postponed her enrollment to dedicate time to advancing her music career, commencing her studies in 2014. In February of that year, she successfully completed her training with Ella, her guide dog provided by the Royal Society for the Blind (RSB). Leahcar entered into marriage with her long-term partner in 2022 and revealed in August 2023 that she is expecting her first child, with a due date set for December 2023.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Shooting Star |
|
5 |
| Romantique |
|
10 |
| Here Comes the Sun |
|
38 |
| Shadows |
|
25 |
| Together For Christmas |
|
— |
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| "Coming Home Again" | 2012 | — | Shooting Star | |
| "Beware the Wolf" | 2017 | — | Shadows | |
| "What They Don't Tell You" | — | |||
| "Shadows" | — | |||
| "Ave Maria" (with Lara Nakhle) | 2018 | — | Together For Christmas | |
| "—" indicates a track that did not enter the charts. | ||||
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "La Vie en rose" | 2012 | 18 | Shooting Star |
| "Over the Rainbow" | 47 | ||
| "Hands" | 15 | ||
| "Someone to Watch Over Me" | 41 | ||
| "Nights in White Satin (Notte Di Luce)" | 43 | ||
| "Smile" | 34 | ||
| "Shooting Star" | 31 |
South Australian Music Awards
Since its inception in 2012, the South Australian Music Awards have honored outstanding achievements within South Australia's contemporary music scene. In 2017, Rachael Leahcar was awarded Most Popular Pop Artist, underscoring her significant impact and recognition in the regional market.
Danny Awards
Dedicated to celebrating musicians with disabilities and fostering inclusivity, the Danny Awards acknowledged Leahcar in 2024 for her accomplishments as a legally blind performer. That year, she also showcased her talent at the ceremony held at Town Hall in New York City, further elevating her global visibility and advocacy efforts.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Australian classical musicians
- Australian soul singers
- Australian pop singers
- Australian blind singers
- The Voice (Australian TV series) contestants
- Living people
- Musicians from Adelaide
- 1994 births
- Australian women pop singers
- 21st-century Australian women singers
- Australian women singer-songwriters
- Australian people of Italian descent
- Pages with reference errors