A cup of tea with... TINA CROSS

THE TALENTED KIWI HAS MADE A CAREER OUT OF SONG AND DANCE

- Karyn Henger

In 1979, Tina Cross shot to stardom when she won the Pacific Song Contest. The promising young vocalist went on to become a household name, both in New Zealand and Australia. In 2007, she received a New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to music and in 2014 she won a Benny Award, the highest honour for a Kiwi variety entertainer. The Lady Killers singer, 62, is an advocate for Women’s Refuge and has taken singing programmes into women’s and men’s prisons.

Tina, what have you been up to lately?

After New Zealand’s borders closed in 2020, all of my work was cancelled and I spent lots of time at home with the family. I did lots of walking and played the ukulele, and brushed up on my te reo. I began studying it a couple of years ago because as I’ve got older, it has become very important to me. The Lady Killers recorded a song during isolation, from our separate homes, that we posted on Facebook – it was a huge success. We’re very busy again now.

There have been some big highs and lows in your family?