Tina Cross
| Tina Cross | |
|---|---|
| Born |
27 January 1959 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Origin | Ngati Porou, Te Aupouri, Croatian |
| Genres | Pop music, |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | ukulele |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Associated acts | Koo De Tah, The Lady Killers |
| Website |
www |
Tina Marie Cross ONZM is a New Zealand-born singer, best known for singing the winning entry in the 1979 Pacific Song Contest and for being the lead vocalist of techno pop band, Koo De Tah, whose single "Too Young For Promises" was a top ten hit in Australia during 1985.[1]
Biography
Cross was the singer of the winning song "Nothing But Dreams" at the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, and then came close to duplicating this success the following year. Four singles she released all made the top 50 in her native New Zealand, including "Make Love To Me", "Everybody Let's Dance", "Lay Back in Your Lovers Arms" and "Nothing But Dreams".[2] Her debut album, You Can Do It, featured veteran Jazz singer Bridgette Allen on background vocals.[3][4]
After relocating to Sydney, she formed the band Koo De Tah and had the biggest hit of her career to date when the song "Too Young For Promises" made number 6 nationally, on the Kent Music Report chart.[5]
She sang the vocals on the original theme song for the television soap opera Shortland Street, composed by Graham Bollard. She has starred in the New Zealand stage performances of The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago, Miss Saigon, the Once Were Warriors musical as Beth Heke and as twice as Grizabella in Cats.
In 2007, Cross was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONMZ) for services to the music industry.
She was a contestant in the 2008 New Zealand series of Dancing With The Stars.
She is Patron of North Shore Music Theatre. In June 2014, she was named an Ambassador of Women's Refuge New Zealand. Her single "Walk Away" was written to raise funds and awareness for Women's Refuge[6] and was featured in Huffington Post.
In October 2014, she was presented with the Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available for a New Zealand variety entertainer.[7]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ[8] | |||
| 1979 | You Can Do It |
|
— |
| 1980 | Tina X |
|
— |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
With Koo De Tah
- Koo De Tah (1986)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ[8] | |||
| 1979 | "Make Love to Me" | 15 | You Can Do It |
| "Everybody Let's Dance" | 13 | ||
| Lay Back in Your Lover's Arms" | 38 | ||
| "Nothing But Dreams" | 47 | Non-album single | |
| 2014 | "Walk Away" | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
References
- ↑ "Tina Cross ONZM - Singer, Performer & Entertainer. Official Website". Tinacross.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Tina Cross - Everybody Let's Dance". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
- ↑ ArtistTrove Bridgette Allen
- ↑ Discogs Tina Cross – You Can Do It
- ↑ "Tina Cross - New Zealand Musicians & Bands". Muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
- ↑ "Right on song for abuse message". NZ Herald. 2015-12-17. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- ↑ "Variety Artists Club of New Zealand". Vacnz.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
- 1 2 "TINA CROSS IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 September 2014.