Tina Charles

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Tina Charles (born Tina Hoskins, 10 March 1954, in Whitechapel, London) is an English singer, who achieved success as a disco artist in the mid to late 1970s.

Contents 1 Career 2 UK discography 2.1 Singles 2.2 Album 3 Reference 4 Trivia 5 External links

[edit] Career

Charles began her career as a backing singer and session musician, and recorded her first solo single in 1969 with a then unknown Elton John singing backing vocals. In 1971 she recorded a record called "Joe" (about a little puppy).

She provided the lead vocals for 5000 Volts' 1975 disco hit "I'm On Fire". Although not publicly acknowledged as a group member at the time, Charles was considered to have a stronger voice than the group's official lead singer. The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 26 in the Billboard Hot 100.

Charles' big break came in 1975, when Indian-British music composer and record producer Biddu, who had just enjoyed massive success worldwide writing the disco hit "Kung Fu Fighting" for Carl Douglas, produced the single "I Love To Love" for her. The single spent three weeks at number one on the UK chart in February 1976, and was major hit around the world. Biddu's collaboration continued on a future album and other huge hits like "Dance Little Lady Dance".

Further hits like "Love Me Like A Lover", "Dr Love", "Rendezvous" and "Love Bug" made her a pop star throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand but she was never able to achieve success in the U.S.

By 1979 her career was in decline, and disco music generally was losing some of its public appeal. Charles married and had a child, and devoted herself for some years to her family life, putting her singing career on the back burner. In the mid 1980s she had a resurgence with a remix of "I Love To Love" which was produced by Sanny X.

Since 2000, Charles has performed throughout Europe where disco music and her hit singles have been reappraised, and she has become a popular live performer.

She is enjoying yet another comeback and is featured on a Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit called "Higher". The song is produced by longtime friend and associate Sanny X. She has also signed a recording contract in the U.S. with Wizard Records, and has a new album entitled A New Beginning scheduled for release in 2007.

[edit] UK discography

[edit] Singles

• "I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance)" - (1976) - Number 1
• "Love Me Like A Lover" - (1976) - Number 28
• "Dance Little Lady Dance" - (1976) - Number 6
• "Dr Love" - (1976) - Number 4
• "Rendezouus" - (1977) - Number 27
• "Love Bug - Sweets For My Sweet (Medley)" - (1977) - Number 26
• "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" - (1978) - Number 27
• "I Love To Love (remix)" - (1986) - Number 67

^[1]

[edit] Album

• Heart 'N' Soul - (1977) - Number 35

^[1]

[edit] Reference

1. ^ ^{a b} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 101. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

[edit] Trivia

• Charles miraculously recovered from meningitis as a newborn.^{[citation needed]}
• She is the daughter of the actor, Charles Hoskins.
• Charles is of Greek Cypriot descent[1]
• Her brother is Warren Hoskins.

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Myspace Site