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Stanley "Stan" Roto Walker is an Australian born (New Zealand raised-Maori heritage) Soul and R&B singer, signed to Sony Music Entertainment Australia. He was the winner of the seventh season of Australian Idol in 2009 and became the first New Zealander to win the Australian Idol Series. During the show he has gained recognition from mentor artists such as Joel & Benji Madden,Michael Buble, Pete Wentz.
Stan was born 23rd October, 1990 in Melbourne to parents, Ross and April Walker who two weeks after his birth returned to their home in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand. Here Stan grew up in a violent family environment. When he was 5 his father Ross, following April’s footsteps started the road to recovery with the help of the local church.
In the meantime the family moved to Byron Bay, NSW to then return to Mt. Maunganui in 1999 and lived there for two years. During that period while Stan's home life had became one of peace, he was badly affected by the betrayal of someone close to the family. Stan was sexually abuse for 9 months. Shocked and traumatised Stan kept the secret for years. His first teenage years were dark and destructive. He tried suicide a number of times when he was 12, 13 and 14. He used to steal, smoked drugs and live a promiscuous life. His only refuge was singing and music: a place he could go to escape the reality of his troubled life.
The family moved from Mt Maunganui to Hamilton in 2001 and lived there for 3 years. It was then that Stan, watching Guy Sebastian winning the first Australian Idol series (2003), found inspiration and promised himself that one day he would have done the same.
In 2005 the Walker family moved back to Byron Bay. 15yo Stan was still troubled and became more isolated. To use Stan’s own words, he had no purpose in life and he would only find comfort in his music. Finally in 2007, moving to Coolangatta QLD, Stan is introduced to the local church community; reconciliation in his family starts and so the healing process.
Stan credits music and God for steering him in the right direction and says going and singing in church brought joy and happiness into his life.
Today Stan lives in Coolangatta with his family. He was employed at the Robina Shopping Centre as shop assistant before becoming a recording artist on the 22th Nov 2009. He wants to get married soon and possibly have 7 children. He loves big families.
Stan has a tattoo on his neck, Ataahua, a female name in Maori meaning beautiful. It would have been the name of his first daughter. When he was 17, his then girlfriend became pregnant but miscarried. They are no longer together.
About the difficulties he faced growing up Stan says: “You learn from every mistake, you learn from every battle and from every little circumstance that happens. Some people don't grow, some people do and I'm one who grew from it."
As for his bright future, Stan says, "I want to live by actions and not by words. I want to be an example for those who have been and who are in the same position that I've been in, back in the past, so I want to live by example. I want to be an ambassador for broken people who come from the dark into the light."
to be continued....
Source credits:
Stan’s BIO and Profiles on - www.australianidol.com.au
Aussie Idol Stan's mum tells of abuse - www.stuff.co.nz/
Stan Walker on 20/20: Stan the man - tvnz.co.nz/tv2
Idol’s Stan Walker wants wife and 7 kids -www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/11/05/155111.
Chapter 2: Interview with Stan Walker - tvnz.co.nz/marae/video
Stan was born 23rd October, 1990 in Melbourne to parents, Ross and April Walker who two weeks after his birth returned to their home in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand. Here Stan grew up in a violent family environment. When he was 5 his father Ross, following April’s footsteps started the road to recovery with the help of the local church.
In the meantime the family moved to Byron Bay, NSW to then return to Mt. Maunganui in 1999 and lived there for two years. During that period while Stan's home life had became one of peace, he was badly affected by the betrayal of someone close to the family. Stan was sexually abuse for 9 months. Shocked and traumatised Stan kept the secret for years. His first teenage years were dark and destructive. He tried suicide a number of times when he was 12, 13 and 14. He used to steal, smoked drugs and live a promiscuous life. His only refuge was singing and music: a place he could go to escape the reality of his troubled life.
The family moved from Mt Maunganui to Hamilton in 2001 and lived there for 3 years. It was then that Stan, watching Guy Sebastian winning the first Australian Idol series (2003), found inspiration and promised himself that one day he would have done the same.
In 2005 the Walker family moved back to Byron Bay. 15yo Stan was still troubled and became more isolated. To use Stan’s own words, he had no purpose in life and he would only find comfort in his music. Finally in 2007, moving to Coolangatta QLD, Stan is introduced to the local church community; reconciliation in his family starts and so the healing process.
Stan credits music and God for steering him in the right direction and says going and singing in church brought joy and happiness into his life.
Today Stan lives in Coolangatta with his family. He was employed at the Robina Shopping Centre as shop assistant before becoming a recording artist on the 22th Nov 2009. He wants to get married soon and possibly have 7 children. He loves big families.
Stan has a tattoo on his neck, Ataahua, a female name in Maori meaning beautiful. It would have been the name of his first daughter. When he was 17, his then girlfriend became pregnant but miscarried. They are no longer together.
About the difficulties he faced growing up Stan says: “You learn from every mistake, you learn from every battle and from every little circumstance that happens. Some people don't grow, some people do and I'm one who grew from it."
As for his bright future, Stan says, "I want to live by actions and not by words. I want to be an example for those who have been and who are in the same position that I've been in, back in the past, so I want to live by example. I want to be an ambassador for broken people who come from the dark into the light."
to be continued....
Source credits:
Stan’s BIO and Profiles on - www.australianidol.com.au
Aussie Idol Stan's mum tells of abuse - www.stuff.co.nz/
Stan Walker on 20/20: Stan the man - tvnz.co.nz/tv2
Idol’s Stan Walker wants wife and 7 kids -www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/11/05/155111.
Chapter 2: Interview with Stan Walker - tvnz.co.nz/marae/video
Last edited by Simona on Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:45 pm; edited 12 times in total (Reason for editing : BIO updated)
