EMMY-winning, multi-Grammy-nominated recording artist Toni Childs will hit town for a concert at Swan Hill Town Hall with a spring in her step after recently becoming an Australian citizen.
After coming to the country in 2012, she settled in Byron Bay.
Childs told The Guardian she was ecstatic to finally call herself an Aussie.
“They sent me an email, not even a formal letter, so when I saw it, I thought for sure they were rejecting me, and it said I was approved, upon which I burst into tears,” she said.
“I am so grateful I’m here – we all see what’s happening in the USA now.
“People do care about each other in this country, and I’m glad to be one of you guys now.”
Childs is touring regional Australia, and the show in Swan Hill will be her second on the calendar after a performance in Bendigo.
Fans will enjoy a two-hour performance as she celebrates her life in music.
Childs will perform fan-favourite hits such as 1991 Australian top-five hit I’ve Got to Go Now and 2004 Emmy-winning single Because You’re Beautiful.
To go with the classics, she will also perform new music from the albums It’s All a Beautiful Noise and Citizens of the Planet.
During her illustrious career, Childs has opened for Bob Dylan, performed duets with legends Al Green and Peter Gabriel, and toured worldwide.
Childs said she couldn’t wait to perform for her supporters in regional hubs all over Australia.
“I love getting to the country towns, and I really believe, as artists, it’s important to play in these regions,” she said.
“I grew up in a small town, and very few people go out of their way in not just music but all walks of life to support them, and the residents need to know they are thought and cared about.”
Growing up in a highly religious family in the south and mid-west of America, Childs found music was a way to escape the rigours of home life.
She has put these emotions into her music.
“Music’s been my healing – growing up, I dealt with a lot of intense abuse, and it gave me a voice,” she said.
“I figured out I have to sing my way through my pains and joys, which is why I sing about the topics that are tough to speak about.
“I wasn’t trained at all, but I was just drawn to it because of how it felt – it was a pure release and is a way for me to figure out how I actually feel, which is what music is all about.
Childs is offering fans the opportunity to meet her with an exclusive VIP meet-and-greet package worth $175 and the chance to go backstage.
“I love meeting my fans – especially before the concert – I take them right next to the stage, and it gives me so much energy.
“We’re not just sitting in my dressing room, we’ll head right out there, and they can get a look of my perspective of the crowd from the stage.”
The concert is on Sunday, February 19.
Tickets are available at the town hall’s website.
