Jon Stevens has led a varied and remarkable career, standing strong through the successes and trials that have earned him a place as a respected veteran performer. Through his solid studio recordings and incredible live performances, Jon has proven himself to be an adaptable, hard-working and inspiring artist. He has walked the boards of the world‟s most prestigious stages and enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside the world‟s best.
Noiseworks became a mainstream success in Australia in October 1986 following the release of their debut single No Lies. Their self-titled debut album (produced by Mark Opitz) reached No.1 on the ARIA chart, where it stayed for a massive 63 weeks. During this period, Noiseworks were became notorious for their live concerts, eager to play in every town and venue that they could. Touch, their follow-up album (produced by Chris Kimsey of Rolling Stones production fame), produced further success for the band also reaching No.1 status. The third album, aptly titled Love Versus Money, jointly produced by Noiseworks and Randy Jackson (American Idol), was also well received, enjoying instant No.1 status. During their reign of the Australian charts, their thrilling live concerts, chart success and unified creative power, led to their reputation as one of the greatest rock outfits to emerge from Australia. Regrettably the band parted ways.
Following this decision in 1992, Jon embarked on two new major projects. The first was his debut musical theatre role as Judas in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Working alongside Australian music icons Angry Anderson, John Farnham and Kate Ceberano, the show ran for a mammoth 84 nights to an audience of over one million people, breaking all previous Australian box office records. Jon‟s stellar performance earned him high praise and respect from an enthusiastic audience and his industry peers. Following the success generated by the Superstar phenomenon, Jon decided to launch the second phase of his solo career with his third album, Are U Satisfied, with Sony Music. The record had a distinct hard-edged sound that fans were accustomed to and was well received. In 1994, Jon reprised his role in a scaled down Jesus Christ Superstar touring Australia and New Zealand.
1998 saw Jon return to the theatrical stage to play Frank in Happy Days: The Arena Mega Musical. That same year, he appeared at the launch of Foxtel and reunited with Noiseworks friends Stuart Fraser and Kevin Nicol who hit the road for a nationwide tour. In 2000 Jon played a significant role in the Sydney Olympics when his song Carry The Flame was selected from Circle and re-worked to become the anthem for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Torch Relay. He also had the honour of running with the Olympic torch as it made its way across Sydney to the opening ceremony. Re-recording the song for the games gave Jon the chance to work alongside INXS‟s Jon Farriss, and he performed with the band to a worldwide audience of 2.4 billion people. Collaborating with INXS led to Jon joining the band as guest vocalist, and together they embarked on a global tour, including a 55-day engagement with the legendary Night of the Proms throughout Europe. Jon was officially announced as INXS’s “seventh member” in 2002, but soon after the announcement Jon and the band parted ways.
Through his passion and tenacity, Jon has established himself as one of Australia’s finest performers, and one only needs to listen to a record or see him in his element – his live shows – to realize what has made Jon a spirited and gifted musical talent.
