In 2002 Debi established South of the River Community Gospel Choir with Annemarie Sharry and Val Ashton. Today South of the River is one of Melbourne’s most celebrated choirs with gigs at one venue or another most weeks of the year. In 2003 Debi’s world was turned upside down when she discovered that she had Breast cancer. Throughout her diagnosis and treatment Debi refused to stop singing. Debi believes that singing was and still is the positive force that helped her to deal with and overcome cancer. Throughout this whole period Debi not only had the love and support of her husband Rob, family and friends but she had the choir and its dedicated 40 members to love, encourage and support her through this very difficult and confronting time. To find out more about Debi’s story view the extended interview below. In 2006 and 2007 Debi became the focus of the documentary Wade in the Water. Her story and the story of the choir she created conveys a message of hope, possibility and the power of singing . In October 2007 Debi realized her greatest dream to date, by recording and releasing her first solo CD entitled, “Ain’t got the blues”. Then, WOOO HOOO! in 2008 Debi won 3 Categories at the Victorian and Tasmanian 2008 Music Awards! These awards were BEST FEMALE VOCALIST! BEST DEBUT ALBUM! AND BEST ALBUM!
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