Pearly Black

Pearly Black
Pearly Black, photographed in 2001
Background information
Born	February 1967 (age 50)
Origin	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Cabaret Rock Folk-noir Acoustic prog-rock Flamenco Latin Bulgarian folklorica Gospel Disco
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1989-present
Associated acts	Madam Bones Brothel Diastima Tell Heaven Hood
Website	blackcherry.com.au

Pearly Black (born February 1967) is an Australian singer. Her performance style varies widely, performing with several ensembles in different genres and in short-run shows. She is perhaps best known for collaborations with avant-garde composer and musician John Rodgers, including their "sex-and-death-cabaret-rock" band Madam Bones Brothel which developed a cult following in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Pearly began singing in Brisbane in the late 1980s where she met John Rodgers (sometimes known as John Bone) and created Madam Bones Brothel.

She moved to Melbourne in the early 1990s (with John and other Brothel members) and worked extensively over the next 10 years in many diverse settings. Apart from performing solo and with Madam Bones Brothel, she was a member of acoustic prog-rock duo Diastima, Robin Casinader's folk-noir ensemble Hood, stadium-disco band Butt Funky, and the short-lived Latin/cabaret quartet Las Tangolitas.

During her time in Melbourne, Pearly also sang with Petrunka (the Melbourne Women's Bulgarian Choir) and performed as a local cast member for dance troupe Stomp.

In 1996, Pearly had a minor (but prominent) role in the film Love and Other Catastrophes as "Woman in Bathroom Making Love".

In 2003, Pearly lived in Hobart and studied at the Conservatory of Music and with Maria Lurighi. She was a member of the Southern Gospel Choir.

She returned to Brisbane in 2004 and once again began collaborating with John Rodgers. She has performed with John and other musicians in many and varied circumstances including in the gospel revue Tell Heaven, in the transcendental cabaret The Ultimate Prize - A John Rodgers Retrospective, and with The God Botherers (the precursor to Tell Heaven).

She was a member of the cast in 2004 for Women in Voice, Brisbane's annual singing showcase, alongside Chrissy Amphlett and Kate Miller-Heidke. Her performance was described as having a smoldering moodiness.