Andrea
Dufort was born in London on October 18, 1958. She can be well identified as the third founding member of the British heavy metal band, Girlschool, still running. She is also well known as the sister to Dave Dufort, the British drummer in the NWOBHM band Angel Witch. Before joining Girlschool, she had always been a fan of Painted Lady while still in her school days.
Denise Dufort joined the band in 1978 and had always been present in every detail of the band’s formation, given that she had a long relationship with the road manager of Girlschool, Tim Warhurst. She also plays with the post-punk band Au Pairs while still working with Girlschool. Her role is to conduct web communications for the band.
Denise, who is currently 62 years of age, had always been interested in music right from a tender age. Her said passion for music is what triggered her into joining the Girlschool band. Girlschool is a British rock band invented during the new age of British heavy metal commotion in 1978.
Frequently linked with modern motorhead, they are the most far-reaching all-female rock band still operating for more than 40 years. Girlschool band rose through the ranks in the 1980s to carve a name for themselves with their ‘pink-tinged metal’ album and a few more singles. However, they lost their propulsion in the following years.
The first to leave the band was William in 1982 due to various challenging circumstances and was successfully replaced by Punk rocker Gil Weston. Kelly Johnson also followed soot in 1984 as she went to live in the United States. In 1985, Girlschool ventured into a more profitable and American FM-friendly sound and dilated to a five-piece group. Cris Bonacci later replaced Johnson while Jackie Bodimead joined on lead vocals.
Unfortunately, this formation was short-lived, forcing Girlschool to revert to a four-piece lineup. Amidst 1987, the band was hit with various transitions with Weston Jackie replacing Tracey Lamb, well-known as former Rock Goddess bass player. Kelly Johnson returned to England from the United States in 1993 and found her place back in Girlschool, replacing Cris Bonacci. Johnson and Lamb remained in the band until 2000 when Jackie Chambers and the returning Enid Williams took their places back in the round.
However, Williams departed yet again in early 2019 and was replaced temporarily by Lamb, who later in the year became a full-time member. Girlschool focused on tours and shows and made a few studio albums in the 1900s and 2000s. They journeyed the world during their music career, performing in many rock and metal festivals and giving their support to crucial hard rock and heavy metal bands.
They remain an inspiration to many female rock musicians and also maintain a worldwide cult following. All original band members are still alive despite their frequent lineup changes. Over the years, Kim McAuliffe, Denise Dufort, and Enid Williams have built a well-curated portfolio with their performance. However, Kelly Johnson and their original lead guitarist passed away in 2007 due to cancer.
