BIOGRAPHY
Frank Ifield (1937–2024) Yodeller, country crooner and chart topper.
Born Francis Edward Ifield on 30 November 1937 in Coundon, Coventry, England, Frank was one of seven sons of Australian parents Richard and Hannah Ifield. His father was an inventor whose creations included the “Ifield fuel pump,” later used in jet aircraft. In 1948 the family returned to Australia, settling on a rural property near Dural, north west of Sydney.
Growing up on the farm, young Frank soaked up country and hillbilly music. He taught himself guitar when his grandmother gave him one in 1949 and learned to yodel by copying country stars like Hank Snow. By his early teens he was singing on local radio. His first single was released in 1953 when he was only 15 and he quickly became a staple of Australia’s country music scene.
In 1959 he moved back to the UK. After some early chart activity his breakthrough came in 1962 with “I Remember You,” which stayed at number one in the UK for seven weeks. His blend of falsetto and yodelling made the record unique. More hits followed including “Lovesick Blues” paired with “She Taught Me How to Yodel,” “The Wayward Wind,” and “Confessin’ (That I Love You),” all of which also topped the charts. That same year he performed at the Royal Variety Show where the Queen Mother requested a yodelling number. He also gave an early break to The Beatles by inviting them to open one of his shows.
Frank twice entered the UK Eurovision heats, in 1962 and 1976, and in 1965 starred in the film Up Jumped a Swagmanplaying an Australian singer chasing fame in London.
By the late 1960s musical fashions had changed and his chart success faded, though he continued recording and performing. In 1986 he developed pneumonia and required surgery that damaged his vocal cords, leaving him unable to sing for years. He returned to Australia in 1988 and gradually recovered enough to perform again. In 1991 a dance remix of “She Taught Me How to Yodel,” retitled “The Yodelling Song,” returned him to the UK charts.
Frank received many honours later in life including induction into the Australian Roll of Renown in 2003, the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2009 for service to the arts.
He married dancer Gillian Bowden in 1965 and they had two children. They divorced in 1988. In 1992 he married airline hostess Carole Wood.
Frank Ifield died on 18 May 2024 at Hornsby Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, aged 86, from pneumonia.
Frank Ifield remains celebrated as the singer who brought yodelling into the pop charts, blending country and pop with a distinctive style that influenced generations of performers and gave early opportunities to rising stars.
Frank Ifield is a rare case of an artist whose niche skill—yodelling—became his signature, not gimmick. His ability to blend country, pop, and vocal acrobatics won him multiple chart-toppers in a crowded field. He helped open doors for other artists (like The Beatles), and even after health setbacks, remained a respected figure in country and easy-listening circles. His story is one of talent, risk, reinvention, and survival.
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