Joe Dolce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Dolce
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Dolce in 2003
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Dolce |
| Born | October 13, 1947 Painesville, Ohio, US |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
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| Associated acts | Joe Dolce Music Theatre |
Joseph Dolce (born October 13, 1947) is an American-Australian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is most famous for his fun song, "Shaddap You Face". This song became a huge hit all over the world in the early 1980s. It sold millions of copies and reached number one in 15 different countries!
Contents
Life and Music Career
Early Years and Musical Start (1947–1977)
Joe Dolce was born in 1947 in Painesville, Ohio, USA. He was the oldest of three children. When he was in high school, he acted and sang in a play. This was his first time performing on stage.
He went to Ohio University to study architecture. But he soon decided he wanted to be a professional musician instead. While at college, he started several bands. One of his bandmates, Jonathan Edwards, later became a famous solo artist. Jonathan Edwards even recorded some of Joe's songs.
Moving to Australia and a Global Hit (1978–1984)
In 1978, Joe Dolce moved to Melbourne, Australia. His first song there was "Boat People." This was a protest song about how Vietnamese refugees were treated. He even had it translated into Vietnamese.
In 1980, Joe recorded his most famous song, "Shaddap You Face." He got the idea for the song from phrases his Italian grandparents used to say. Things like "What's the matter, you?" and "Eh, shaddap!"
The song became a massive success! It was number one in Australia for eight weeks. It also hit number one in countries like the UK, Germany, France, and New Zealand. "Shaddap You Face" sold an amazing six million copies worldwide. It even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for being Australia's best-selling single at the time.
Many artists have covered the song over the years. These include actors and hip-hop legends. It has been translated into 15 languages, including an Aboriginal dialect. The song even appeared in a TV show called The Morning Show in 2021.
After "Shaddap You Face," Joe released other songs. His album Christmas in Australia reached number 92 on the Australian charts in 1981.
Later Work and Poetry (1984–Present)
Joe Dolce continued to make music and perform. He formed groups like Difficult Women with his partner, Lin Van Hek. They even wrote a song for the movie The Terminator in 1984.
Joe has also become a well-known poet in Australia. Since 2009, he has published many poems. He has won several awards for his poetry. In 2010, he won the Launceston Poetry Cup. His poems were chosen for the "Best Australian Poems" collections in 2014 and 2015. He also won the University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's Health Poetry Prize in 2017.
In 2020, he was named the City of Melbourne Poet Laureate for August. Since 2018, he has also been an editor for Quadrant magazine, where he reviews TV shows and films.
Music Releases
Joe Dolce has released several albums and singles throughout his career.
Albums
- Shaddap You Face (1981)
- Christmas in Australia (1981)
- Steal Away Home: The Songs of Motherwell-Dolce (1988)
- Pundulumura: Two Trees Together (with Lin Van Hek, Gnarayarrahe Waitaire and Ponjyflydu) (1991)
- Difficult Women (with Lin Van Hek) (1992)
- Difficult Women: Black Pepper with a Hint of Violets (with Lin Van Hek) (1995)
- Memoirs of a Mouth Organ (1997)
- Flower (with Lin Van Hek) (2000)
- Freelovedays (2004)
- The Wind Cries Mary (2007)
- Live at Poet House (with Lin Van Hek) (2019)
Singles
- "Boat People" (1979)
- "Shaddap You Face" (1980) - This song sold over 290,000 copies in Australia!
- "If You Want to Be Happy" (1981)
- "Christmas in Australia" / "The 12 Days of Christmas" (1981)
- "You Toucha My Car I Breaka You Face" (1982)
