Career
Covington's break came in 1967 when, while still a student at Homerton College, Cambridge, she was invited to sing on David Frost's television show – after which she secured a recording contract.
She followed this early success with her 1971 Godspell casting at The Roundhouse, then with her 1972 original cast recording of Godspell (Day by Day) and her role as the original Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show in 1973.
Between 1974 and 1984 Covington appeared regularly in the companies of the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre, creating such roles as Alice in Plenty, Vivienne Eliot in Tom & Viv (for which she received an Olivier Award nomination) and Edward in the original production of Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine.
1976 and 1977 saw her appearing in the two series of the television programme, Rock Follies.
In 1978 she appeared with the English National Opera as Anna in The Seven Deadly Sins.
Rock Follies led to her landing the title role in the original studio recording of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Evita. This had been offered to singer Elkie Brooks, who turned it down. Covington achieved an international number one with the song "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"; the single reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1977. She was later given the opportunity to originate the role in the stage production of "Evita", but she declined, explaining that she thought the impact of her recording would be diminished, and Elaine Paige took the role.
In 1978, Covington performed the role of Beth, wife of Parson Nathaniel (Phil Lynott), on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.
Covington achieved chart success with a cover version of Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed" from her eponymous 1978 album. It reached #12 on the UK chart.
Following a second solo album and guesting on other artists' albums she returned to the theatre.
Read more about this topic: Julie Covington
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