Zan Abeyratne
Suzanne Abeyratne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Suzanne Marguerite Abeyratne Template:Birth year and age London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, singer |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Known for | Lead vocalist of I'm Talking; solo career as Zan and Xan |
Suzanne Marguerite Abeyratne (born 1961), also known by the stage names Zan or Xan, is a London-born vocalist based in Australia. She shared lead singing duties in I'm Talking from 1984 to 1987 alongside Kate Ceberano. Abeyratne was the lead singer on their July 1986 single, "Holy Word", which achieved a peak position of No. 9 on the Australian charts and No. 21 in New Zealand. Along with her identical twin sister Sherine, who was part of Big Pig between 1985 and 1991, she contributed backing vocals to bands such as Models, INXS, and U2, while also participating in international tours.
After the breakup of I'm Talking, Abeyratne embarked on a solo path. Her 1989 release "It's Your Move" entered the ARIA Singles Chart top 100. Additionally, she appeared briefly as an actress in the first season of Round the Twist in 1989. In October 2018, she announced plans to reunite I'm Talking to support Bryan Ferry during his Australian tour scheduled from February through April.
1961–1988: Early years, Models, and I'm Talking
Born in London in 1961 to parents originally from Sri Lanka, Suzanne (later known as Zan) Abeyratne and her identical twin Sherine spent several years living in Sri Lanka before relocating to Australia. Both sisters launched their singing careers around 1978, performing both jointly and independently. Sherine provided backing vocals for artists including Jo Jo Zep and later for INXS, whereas Zan became involved with the band Bang.
Between 1983 and 1985, Zan served as a backing vocalist for Melbourne's group Models, contributing to their single "God Bless America" released in April 1984, and touring in support of their album Out of Mind, Out of Sight, which came out in August 1985. The twins appeared together in music videos for Models’ track "Barbados" released in March 1985 and lent their voices to a recording by Kids in the Kitchen. During her tenure with I'm Talking, Zan performed "Lead the Way" at the Oz for Africa concert held in July 1985. The sisters also took part in Melbourne’s Rockin' the Royals concert in November that year, an event headlined by INXS.
In 1984, Zan became a member of Melbourne-based pop outfit I'm Talking, which was fronted by lead singer Kate Ceberano alongside Stephen Charlesworth, Ian Cox, Robert Goodge, Barbara Hogarth, and Cameron Newman. She appeared on their single "Trust Me" released in November 1984 and was the lead vocalist on "Holy Word", issued as the second single from their debut album Bear Witness in July 1986. This song reached No. 9 on Australian charts and No. 21 across New Zealand.
Robert Goodge explained that Zan was selected to sing "Holy Word" because Ceberano was unavailable during demo sessions and to acknowledge Zan’s significant role within the band. Zan described her experience recording the track as "awesome," though she missed witnessing its full success firsthand due to touring abroad. She toured internationally with I'm Talking before returning for the Australian Made tour between December 1986 and January 1987. Zan departed from the group in March 1987.
1989–1994: Solo pursuits
In February 1989, Abeyratne launched her solo career under the name Zan with the dance/pop single "It's Your Move," released through Mushroom Records/Festival Records. The track was co-written by Clyde Lieberman and Eliot Lewis, recorded in Los Angeles with producer Richard James Burgess, and reached number 82 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Later that year, she issued "Good Love" in November—a composition by Paul Francis Gray of Wa Wa Nee—produced by Todd Hunter from Dragon. However, it did not enter the top 100.
Her subsequent single "Nobody Else" appeared in March 1991; it was penned by Ashley Cadell (formerly of Flotsam Jetsam) and was later covered by her group Mercy Mercy, which included her sister Sherine.
1995–2017: Xan's Solo Endeavors
In February 1995, Abeyratne adopted the stage name Xan and launched the single "You're So Vain". That same year, she introduced her solo album, Xan, through Amber Records in partnership with Polydor Records. The album included the singles "Make It" and "Run Away Girl" and was jointly produced by Abeyratne alongside Bob Brockmann. Later, in October 2013, she contributed vocals to the track "Risin' Up" by StrictLove.
2018–present: Reunion of I'm Talking and Touring
March 2018 saw the remastered edition of I'm Talking's album Bear Witness reissued on CD, which also featured an expanded two-disc version containing additional tracks. By October 2018, Abeyratne announced the band's reunion aimed at supporting Bryan Ferry during his Australian tour scheduled from February to April 2019. This revival brought together original members Ceberano, Charlesworth, Goodge, Hogarth, and Abeyratne herself.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Xan (as Xan) |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart position | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| Released under the name Zan | ||||
| "It's Your Move" | 1989 | 82 | Template:Non-album singles | |
| "Good Love" | 134 | |||
| "Nobody Else" | 1991 | — | ||
| Released under the name Xan | ||||
| "Make It" | 1995 | — | Xan | |
| "Run Away Girl" | — | |||
References
General
- Note: The archived online version has limited features.
- [1] Note: The online edition was established by White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and expanded from its original 2002 release.
Specific
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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