The multi award winner has crammed a lot into the 50-plus years since that North East debut.

Originally from Bendigo, Hewett’s career started at country dances and moved through national television, television drama, film, stage musicals and concerts. 

At 12, she gave her debut public performance with The Esquires, and as a teenager she toured Australia with the Laurie Allen Revue. By 20, she was a star.

Colleen released her first single, Superstar, along with her self-titled album in 1970.

Her next smash hit, Day by Day, reached gold record status and she was crowned Queen of Pop two years running.

In the early 1970s Hewett starred in the smash hit musical Godspell and then Pippin with John Farnham, later appearing in Tommy, Chicago, Shout! and The Boy from Oz.

She also turned to the small screen with starring roles in Prisoner, and Flying Doctors.

 “Doing what you love makes it all worthwhile,” Hewett says.

​She will be at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, August 27, singing tracks from her recent album, Black and White which opened at number on on the Australian jazz charts.

Fans will also get all her golden hits such as Carry that Weight, Day By Day and Wind Beneath My Wings. 

Ron Vincent, who has been authorised by Cat Stevens to perform his material, will also be part of the show.

“I always loved Cat Stevens,” Hewett says, “and Ron does a wonderful job of performing his material. You will recognise every song.”

Off the stage, Hewett recently received the prestigious Rotary award, The Paul Harris Fellow, in recognition of her work fighting family violence as ambassador for Rotary’s Violence Free Families.

Hewett was subjected to violence from her second husband in the late 1980s.

“Everyone in Rotary shares this honour with me, and as much as I love having it, I would give it up if we helped even one person escape family violence,” she says.