While a brilliant guitarist and superb singer make up the Redcliffe-based JJDuo seen on stage, someone in the audience is just as integral to this musical partnership.
Guitarist John Colquhoun is a seasoned musician who played in Los Angeles and Hawaii before moving to Australia and performing with various bands. His promising career was interrupted by the diagnosis of a brain tumour, leading to a seven-year battle and hiatus from music.
Julie Torrance began singing as a child and became immersed in the music scene. Life as a single mother of four meant taking a break from music but her deep love for singing never wavered.
John and Julie may never have met if not for John’s wife, Fran, who now manages JJDuo.
John said his wife met Julie at a Redcliffe Socialites meetup event.
“When she learnt that Julie was a singer hoping to break back into the industry, Francesca put us together with the hope it would stimulate my brain,” he said.
“When I met Julie, I was shocked at how wonderful her voice was. She was the ultimate musical partner, talented and down-to-earth with no ego.
‘We ‘click’, which in my experience is rare in music. My wife is our ‘organiser’. As a threesome, we are such a good team who have so much fun together.”
Musical Chemistry, Lifelong Friendship, and a Decades-Spanning Repertoire
Julie said Fran mentioned that John was a great guitarist and how good it would be for him to have a singer perform with him.
“My first impression was of a very talented, lovely, kind and intelligent man,” Julie said. “I thought he was amazing with all the medical hardships he had come through with Fran’s support.
“We ended up working together with ease and fun while stretching our music genres together.
“John, Fran and myself are a great team. We work extremely well together and have developed a close, strong, lifetime friendship.”
Today, JJDuo Queensland perform songs for every occasion, with a playlist that covers many decades, including hits from The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, Miley Cyrus and more.
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