Tina Cross

Tina Marie Cross (born 27 January 1959) is a New Zealand singer. She sang the winning entry in the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, and was the lead vocalist of synthpop band, Koo De Tah, whose single "Too Young for Promises" was a top ten hit in Australia in 1985.

Biography 1959–1974: Early days and TV Cross is one of six siblings and grew up in Ōtara from the age of four, except for a three-year stint in Kaitaia. Cross' mother is of Maori-Croatian descent. Chalkdust became a finalist in the 1976 Battle of the Bands competition. Kim Hart would sign with EMI Australia in 1977 and would have a top 10 hit "Love At First Night" by 1980.

In 1977 Cross spent some time as a dancer on the television show, Top of the World and also appeared on several episodes of Ready to Roll, where she sang the current popular hits of the day. In 1978 Cross won the rising star award at the Entertainer of the Year awards. Her fourth single, "Nothing But Dreams", was the New Zealand entry into the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, which it won. Cross began working on a second studio album, a shift from disco to new wave ultimately failed and the album, Tina X, did not chart.

From 13 October 1982 she fronted the musical TV series Nothing But Dreams, broadcast on Two for five weeks. Cross maintained a high profile with numerous television appearances and in 1982 she relocated across the Tasman to Sydney, Australia and began singing on the cabaret circuit. two further singles "Body Talk" and "Think of Me" were released and a self-titled album in 1986. The group disbanded in 1987.

Following Koo De Tah, Cross launched a corporate cabaret act and toured India and Asia before returning to Auckland in 1990.

1990–2005: Theatre In 1992, Cross sang the vocals on the original theme song for the television soap opera Shortland Street, composed by Graham Bollard. Cross released her third studio album Lay Down Your Heart in October 2014.

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.

In November 2017, Cross released "Another Little One", a song Cross wrote inspired by toddler Moko Tangitoheriri's brutal death. The single was released as the centrepiece of Shine's annual Christmas campaign in 2017, asking that no more children be lost to violence or suffer abuse.

Discography Albums Year Title Details 1979 You Can Do It Label: Philips Catalogue: 6334017 Format: LP, cassette 1980 Tina X Label: Polygram Catalogue: 6456 010 Format: LP 2014 Lay Down Your Heart Released: 17 October 2014 Label: Tina Cross Format: Digital download

Singles Year Title Peak chart positions Album NZ 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 1980 "This Time" — Tina X 1982 "Losing Your Touch" — non-album single 1983 "Ring Around My Finger" — non-album single 1984"New Blood" — non-album single 2012 "Too Young for Promises" (Stereolove featuring Tina Cross) — non-album single "I Wish That" (Stereolove featuring Tina Cross) — non-album single 2013 "Burn It Up" (Stereolove featuring Tina Cross) — non-album single 2014 "Walk Away" — Lay Down Your Heart 2017 "Another Little One" — non-album single "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Tina Cross won one awards in that time. (wins only) 1983 Tina Cross Johnny O'Keefe Encouragement Award