Sunday Showtune: All about those famous Aussie sisters Helen Reddy and Toni Lamond!

Today we shine a light on Australian showbiz royalty. Toni Lamond was a household name in Australia as a television and stage star well before her younger sister Helen Reddy blazed a trail to worldwide superstardom.

Their mother was well-known actress and comedian mother Stella Lamond who had Toni with first husband, actor father Joe Lawman. Helen’s father was actor-writer Max Reddy.

Lamond, now 91, was given the nickname “Lolly-Legs” by entertainer, Noel Ferrier , who stated she had the second best legs in the industry when she featured on In Melbourne Tonight. Her first stage performances were at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney. Her first performances as a leading lady were with English comedian Tommy Trinder in The Tommy Trinder Show in 1952. She has starred in Australian productions of Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game, Wildcatand Gypsy: A Musical Fable. She is the mother of Tony and Olivier-nominated stage star Tony Sheldon best known for his starring role in the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Helen, who died in 2020 at age 78, enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed 15 singles on the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six made the top 10 and three reached number one, including her signature hit I Am Woman which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Some of her other classic hits include Angie Baby, Delta Dawn, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress), Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady, Keep on Singing, I Don’t Know How to Love Him, You and Me Against the World, Emotion and Somewhere in the Night, among others.

Helen also starred in the feature film Pete’s Dragon and had success on Broadway and the London stage in Blood Brothers.

Enjoy some moments with Helen and Toni!





BONUS VIDEO: Toni is the mother of Tony Award-nominated actor Tony Sheldon who was a smash on Broadway, London and Australia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award. Below is a joint 1985 TV appearance with mother and son who worked together many times.