Dame Julie Bethridge ToppDNZM (born 14 May 1958), known as Jools Topp, is one half of the Topp Twins, a music comedy duo from New Zealand; the other member is her twin sister Lynda Topp. Jools Topp has been singing and entertaining with her sister for decades, touring live music and comedy performances as well as performing in TV and film. The sisters were both appointed Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours.[1]
Background and personal life
Jools Topp and her twin sister Lynda were born on 14 May in 1958 in Huntly, to Jean and Peter, and grew up on a dairy farm in Waikato. Topp also has an older brother called Bruce.[1] Topp attended Ruawaro Combined School during the 1960s and early 1970s.[2] The twins have been singing together since they were five years old and their brother gave them a guitar when they were 11.[3]
After leaving Huntly College in 1976, Jools and Lynda Topp joined the New Zealand Territorial Force and were posted at the Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch for six weeks.[4] When they were 17, they performed at the Victorian Coffee Lounge (Montreal Street, Christchurch Central City). This brought them into contact with radical lesbian feminists.[5] They both started identifying as lesbian from the late 1970s.[4][5] Much of their life has been in the public eye and their mother was interviewed by Radio New Zealand about the closure of the New Zealand Woman's Weekly magazine in 2020 talking about how much her daughters had been featured in these magazines.[6]
On the birth of a new generation with Lynda being a grandparent and Jools being a grand aunt they admitted they didn't expect it when they were younger because as they said: "We're all gay", referring also to their brother.[7]
Horses
Jools Topp is a skilled horsewoman[8] and for many years had a 6.9 hectares (17 acres) property in Helensville, north of Auckland, with her partner. They had dogs, chickens, cattle, cats and about ten horses with an equestrian area. Called Liberty Circle Ranch, Topp's property helped families to rehabilitate and train horses through the business NZ Horse Help run by Teresa Trull and Michaela Evans.[9][8] It was said Topp "answers her phone while riding her horses bareback in her arena".[10] The property was sold when the couple split up after 17 years together.[10]
Breast cancer
Jools Topp was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006 at the age of 48. Originally examined by a physician in January 2006, nothing was done as it was not detected by a mammogram. Topp was diagnosed seven months later when the breast cancer showed up with an ultrasound exam. She recovered well after receiving a mastectomy in October 2006 and several months of chemotherapy.[11]
In March 2022 Jools and Lynda revealed that they had both been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021.[12]
Jools Topp along with her sister Lynda has had a long career in entertainment in New Zealand. They sing country and folk music with harmonies often to raise people's social consciousness. As entertainers, Lynda Topp leads the comedy and "works the audience", and mostly Jools plays the guitar and leads the song making.[13] Lynda particularly focused on yodelling.[14] The Topp Twins' popularity arose from a regular stint busking in Auckland when they were in their early 20s. They got taken to court for causing obstruction on Queen Street because their crowd was too big. They won the case and benefited from the publicity. Soon after that they travelled and performed to university crowds around New Zealand.[14][15] They are well known for their costumed comedic characters such as Ken & Ken, and Camp Leader and Camp Mother. They have been a lot on television in character including in 2000 hosting a quiz show called Mr and Mrs, in which couples answered questions about how well they knew each other, and a 2014 to 2016 a cooking show called Topp Country.[1][16]
Awards
1987 Listener Film and Television Awards. Best Entertainer: Topp Twins
1987 Listener Film and Television Awards. Best Entertainment Programme: Topp Twins Special
1987 Listener Film and Television Awards. Best Original Music: Topp Twins Special
1997 TV Guide Television Awards. Best Performance in an Entertainment Programme (shared with Lynda Topp): for Topp Twins, Do Not Adjust Your Twinset, episode 2
2010 Qantas Film and Television Awards. Best Entertainment Programme: The Topp Twins and The APO
2017 New Zealand Television Awards. Best Presenter – Entertainment (shared with Lynda Topp): for Topp Country, season two[14]
2018 Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to entertainment
2019 Lifetime Achievement Award at the NEXT Woman of the Year Awards
Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
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