The Enduring Spirit Of Maria Venuti

Beloved singer Maria Venuti disappeared from stage and screen after she suffered a massive stroke in 2016. But, as Genevieve Gannon discovers, with the support of her loving daughter Bianca, she’s planning a comeback.

- Genevieve Gannon

It’s an overcast afternoon in the Sydney suburb of Gladesville and the Parramatta River is the same dull grey as the sky above, but inside singer Maria Venuti’s home, there’s a riot of colour.

The entertainer is posing for The Weekly’s cameras in red feathers, orange satin, saloon ruffles and crimson lipstick. A glass of champagne fizzes in her hand while the camera snaps away, and as Maria smiles, she looks just as gregarious as always, proving that even though a catastrophic stroke robbed her of her voice, she is still a performer at heart.

It’s clear, however, as the shoot pauses so Bianca can adjust Maria’s hair, that what really keeps her going is the love of her daughter.

“Let me fix your feathers,” Bianca says gently, as she moves her mother’s curls so her orange feathered earrings can be seen. Maria protests. The two engage in a back-and-forth, during which Bianca reads her mother’s gestures and expressions to understand exactly what she wants.

The earrings are removed and the photo shoot resumes. “That’s better, darling,” Bianca says, leaning in to hug her mum.

“A lot of people, when they think of family, they think cousins and aunties, brothers and sisters, but with us, it’s always been Mum and I,” Bianca says. “We’ve always been best friends, but also each other’s plus-ones. When I was growing up, it was a very different type of lifestyle.”