Tina Cross Celebrates Four Glittering Decades of Career Success Since Her Spectacular Win of the Pacific Song Contest!
Crossways Limited, The Pumphouse and the National Library of New Zealand presents
SALUTE TO NOTHING BUT DREAMS
Forty years ago, this October a young South Auckland singer called Tina Cross took out one of the most revered pop music
titles of the time - The Pacific Song Contest. The winning song – Nothing But Dreams - written by long-time collaborator
Carl Doy launched this talented teenager into the spotlight. To celebrate this career defining moment Cross and Doy will
perform a concert in Wellington at the National Library on October 18 and in Auckland at the Pumphouse Theatre on
October 25.
Whilst both concerts have a slightly different flavour audiences can expect a dynamic repertoire from the duo including
Nothing But Dreams, Memory (from Cats), Tarakihi (best known via Kiri Te Kanawa), Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton),
Always Remember Us This Way (Lady Gaga) and the song Cross wrote and gifted to the Women’s Refuge – Walk Away. For both
concerts Doy will accompany Cross on a Grand Piano and in Auckland the duo is joined by a four piece-band and two guest
singers – Russell Harrison and Jane Horder. Wellington’s free concert is part of the public programme for the National
Library exhibition - Pūkana: moments in Māori performance.
Tina Cross ONZM (Te Aupouri / Ngati Porou) has been a household name since Nothing But Dreams took her into living rooms
across the country when the Pacific Song Contest was broadcast live to millions of TV viewers. Turning sixty this year
Cross celebrates an incredible 44-year career as a singer and entertainer in the business as one of New Zealand’s
timeless leading wāhine’s as a recording artist, TV darling, musical theatre queen, Lady Killer and anti-domestic
violence advocate. Let’s not also forget that Cross sang the vocals on the original theme song for our longest running
soap - Shortland Street.
Carl Doy is also an icon in the NZ musical scene having recorded over twenty piano albums, starting with Piano by
Candlelight in the 1980s, which set records with triple-platinum sales in New Zealand and over one million albums sold
in USA. As a producer he has been hugely successful producing double-platinum albums for Yulia, Elizabeth Marvelly,
Martin Winch (Espresso Guitar) and Brian Smith (Moonlight Sax). He has also been musical director for such NZ icons as
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Howard Morrison and Rob Guest.
Doy and Cross have worked together regularly over the last 40 years. They have collaborated on many projects including
musical recordings and television performances and series. Notable highlights from this partnership include the 1982
six-programme series Nothing But Dreams. They have had a long friendship that was born out of the success of the Pacific
Song Contest.
Back together again for two concerts to mark the song that catapulted them to success, Cross and Doy remember a time
back in the late seventies when NZ pipped Australia at the post by two points to take home the title and Cross chose
‘that’ dress which would go on to make kiwi musicial history.
Now is the time to pay homage to these fantastic entertainers and to celebrate the formidable careers that they have
carved out over the last four decades.
ends