Barbie Davidson

Barbie Davidson is an award-winning New Zealand vocalist whose velvety tone and powerhouse range glide across country, jazz and pop with equal ease. Based in Gulf Harbour, Auckland, she first found her footing as a teenager on TVNZ’s Country Touch, then built a career fronting bands, headlining clubs, and captivating theatre and festival audiences on both sides of the Tasman.

After moving to Queensland in 1988, Barbie’s crossover style, country sparkle with a kiss of jazz and blues, saw her dubbed the state’s “Queen of Country.” That momentum carried into the studio with her Warner Music debut Borderline (1991), later re-released as Two Hearts, and a New Zealand Music Awards finalist nod the following year.

Onstage, Barbie has shared billings and tours with international greats, performed at Nashville’s famed Fan Fair alongside Charley Pride, and taken her show from RSL and cabaret circuits to P&O cruise liners. She also spent five years in the vocal trio Girls Talk, with marquee supports that included Little River Band and Kenny Rogers.

At home, the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand (VAC) has recognised Barbie’s sustained excellence with multiple honours, and audiences continue to pack out her country-rock and jazz shows for the same reason: when Barbie sings, the room lifts.