The Top Twins
The Topp Twins (born May 14, 1958 in Huntly , New Zealand) are a country music comedian duo. Jools and Lynda Topp are identical twin sisters and have been comedians for more than 35 years. They are known for their live shows, television shows, and their film Untouchable Girls . The Topp Twins are not only entertainers, but also activists and cultural icons.
Life
Origin and education
Jools and Lynda Topp were born in Huntly on May 14, 1958. They were raised by their parents, Jean and Peter Topp, on the family dairy farm in Ruawaro. Jools and Lynda attended Gordonton School and Huntly College with their older brother, Bruce.
When the twins were 17 years old, they joined the army. After only six weeks, they left the army and started making music on the streets. That was the beginning of their careers and they developed a very individual tone from country music and yodelling that they have been using ever since.
Early years
A short time later, Jools and Lynda Topp appeared in small bars. They moved from Christchurch to Dunedin and on to Hamilton. In Auckland, the Topp Twins were often seen street performers on the main streets of the city center before embarking on their first national tour. The Student Arts Council tour led to further engagements and they began performing in theaters.
During this time Jools and Lynda developed characters like The Gingham Sisters and Raelene & Brenda . As their careers continued, they developed many other characters including Camp Mother & Camp Leader , Ken & Ken, and Prue & Dilly Ramsbottom .
The shows were based on stories from their lives and included political satire. The best of the shows from the Student Arts Council tours were filmed for a television special in what was the Top Twins' first appearance on New Zealand television. Jools and Lynda Topp have won several awards for their television special, including 1986 as Entertainer of the Year at the New Zealand Film and TV Awards .
International breakthrough
After their success in New Zealand, Jools and Lynda decided to see if they could be successful internationally. They performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then made other appearances in many locations in the UK and Ireland. They have also performed at music festivals and comedy festivals in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The Top Twins still spend three to four months abroad to appear at various events.
"Kiwi phenomenon"
Upon their return to New Zealand, they developed and directed their own prime time television series. The series was unique at the time in that the Top Twins characters mingled with ordinary people in public places. The series became one of TV3's top shows and won several television awards including Best Entertainment Program awards at the New Zealand Film and TV Awards in 1997 and 1999.
In 1998, Lynda Topp applied for Auckland mayor in the person of her popular alter ego, Camp Mother . She attracted a large number of votes, so she recommended another candidate: Christine Fletcher. Indeed, Christine Fletcher subsequently became the mayor of Auckland. In doing so, Camp Mother achieved its goal of giving the city of Auckland a new, gay-friendly leadership.
The Topp Twins also had great success with their music. Both of her albums Grass Highway (2001) and Flowergirls and Cowgirls (2005) won Best Country Albums . More recently, the Topp Twins won the Country Music Group / Duo award at the National Country Music Awards (2009).
The Topp Twins are still touring New Zealand. They prefer to perform at community events like A&P shows. In 2009, a full-length documentary about the Top Twins, Untouchable Girls , was released. The film, directed by Leanne Pooley, broke all previous revenue records for the opening day and first weekend for a documentary in New Zealand. Since then, it has been shown at many film festivals and cinemas around the world and has won many awards including Best Feature Film (2009) at the New Zealand Film and TV Awards and the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival .
The Topp Twins' last television appearance was on their television series Topp Country . Jools and Lynda play themselves there and take a cooking trip through New Zealand.
Personal
Jools Topp was in a partnership with Mary Massara from 1993 to 2010. In March 2013 Lynda Topp married her long-time partner Donna Luxton, who is a child educator.
As early as the 1970s, Jools and Lynda Topp were open about their sexual orientation. Their presence in the entertainment industry and the media has influenced public opinion regarding New Zealand's decriminalization of homosexuality (The Homosexual Law Reform Bill) (1986) and later the Marriage Amendment Bill (2013). You have led demonstrations and made the subject more popular in New Zealand society.
Jools Topp was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006 and received a mastectomy and several months of chemotherapy. She and her sister were breast cancer activists and continue to use their celebrity status to educate the public about the disease.
Social Commitment
During their long career, the Top Twins have been involved in many political and social campaigns.
The Topp Twins sang at the frequent protest marches and public rallies of the 1980s. As supporters of Maori land rights, Jools and Lynda took part in marches and the occupation of Bastion Point . They were also involved in the anti-apartheid movement and took part in the protest against the 1981 Springboks Tour in New Zealand. They were also at the forefront of the anti-nuclear movement in New Zealand.
Discography
| 1982 | Top Twins Go Vinyl |
| 1985 | Twinset and Pearls |
| 1988 | No War in My Heart |
| 1990 | Wear Something Sexy EP |
| 1992 | Hightime |
| 1994 | Two timing |
| 2001 | Grass highway |
| 2005 | Flowergirls and Cowgirls |
| 2009 | Honky Tonk Angel |
| 2014 | The Topp Twins The Very Best Of |
Filmography
watch TV
| More comments | ||
| 1986 | Top twins | TV special, TVNZ |
| 1987-1988 | That's country | TVNZ |
| 1992 | Rivers Of NZ | 1 × 60 min, TV3 |
| 1993 | Camping Out With The Topp Twins | TV special, TV3 |
| 1994 | The People Next Door | TVNZ |
| 1995 | Laugh Your Sox Off | TVNZ |
| 1996 | Beyond A Joke | TVNZ |
| 1996-2000 | The Topp Twins Series: Do Not Adjust Your Twinset | 3 seasons, 19 episodes - 30 min, TV3 |
| 1997 | Hero parade | TV3 |
| 1997 | Best Of The Fest | BBC, London |
| 1998 | Hessie's Shed | TV3 |
| 1999 | In Search of the Lonesome Yodel | 1 × 60 min, ABC Australia / TVNZ |
| 1999 | Mr & Mrs | 10 × 30 min, TV3 |
| 2006 | Ken's Hunting and Fishing Show | 7 × 30 min, TVNZ |
| 2010 | Intrepid Journey | 1 episode, TVNZ |
| 2010 | The Top Twins and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra | 1 × 60 min special, TV3 |
Movies
| More comments | ||
| 2009 | The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls | documentary |
Awards
In 2004, Jools and Lynda Topp received the Queen's Medal for Achievement in Entertainment ( New Zealand Order of Merit ) and in 2008 they were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame .
In 2010, the Wintec University of Applied Sciences awarded the Topp Twins an honorary master's degree and in 2011 the Waikato University made them honorary doctorates.
2018 Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Other awards: New Zealand Entertainer of the Year (1984)
New Zealand Entertainer of the Year (1986)
Topp Twins TV Special (1986) Best Entertainment Show, Best Original Music, NZ Film and TV Awards
The Topp Twins Series Best Entertainment Program (1997, 1999), NZ Film and TV Awards
Grass Highway (2001) Best Country Album, New Zealand Music Awards
Flowergirls and Cowgirls (2005) Best Country Album, New Zealand Music Awards
Country Music Group / Duo Award (2009), National Country Music Awards
literature
Topp, Jools, and Topp, Lynda. The Topp Twins Book. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books, 2013. Print.
Web links
www.topptwins.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Top Twins: Bio. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 15, 2017 ; accessed on September 27, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Top Twins: Intro. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 15, 2017 ; accessed on September 27, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Jools Topp, Lynda Topp: The Topp Twins Book . Ed .: Penguin Books. Auckland 2013.
- ↑ a b c d Top Twins: Music. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on August 24, 2017 ; accessed on September 5, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f Jools Topp. Retrieved September 5, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c d Lynda Topp. Retrieved September 5, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Top Twins: Top Twins TV Series. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 15, 2017 ; accessed on September 27, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 15, 2017 ; accessed on September 27, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Occupation of Bastion Point begins. Retrieved September 15, 2017 .
- ↑ Bastion Point protesters evicted. Retrieved September 15, 2017 .
- ^ Bastion Point land returned. Retrieved September 15, 2017 .
- ^ Peter Limb: The Anti-Apartheid Movements in Australia and Aotearoa / New Zealand . Ed .: Unisa Press. 2008, p. 907-982 .
- ^ Nuclear-free New Zealand. Retrieved September 15, 2017 .
