Tina Cousins
Tina's Biography
Tina Cousins is a 25-year-old model turned singer. Born in the
sleepy seaside town of Essex, England, blonde, hazel-eyed Tina was an extrovert child who grew
into not a bad looking teenager. She started modelling in her late teens "mostly
at fashion shows," and when she was 20, found herself in a Rolling Stones video.
Tina says Mick Jagger was really rude. "He walked past me on the set and elbowed me," she says, "so I pushed him
back! Then I ran off and hid in case he wanted to sack me from the video!"
Her modelling career took a radical change at a fashion show where the
organizers had booked a singer who never arrived. The woman in charge went
backstage in a panic and asked whether any of the models could sing. Cousins
was game, and the only one confident enough to step forward. "I can't say I
wasn't nervous. There were 1000 people out there!" But she came through and
got a rousing reception. Her music career had begun.
Tina began to earn a living as a singer. She wasn't very well known, and then
she lucked out. The small record label to which Cousins was signed had sent out
tapes to various producers including mogul Pete Waterman.
Along with loads of other tapes, Cousins initially ended up in the bin without
being listened to. By chance, someone at the studio saw her photograph sticking
out of the bin and rescued the tape. On the strength of one play, Cousins won a
vocal test at PWL studios and was snapped up.
"We needed someone who looked great enough to be a fantastic live act, but it
was also crucial that she had a killer voice," says Waterman. "Tina was the only
one for the job." That was 1997. Since then, she has worked hard and built up a following
with hundreds of live performances across Britain plus loads of TV and radio.
Her first super-hit was Mysterious Times, a collaboration with Sash!, and the follow-up single
did well also. She performs in lots of clubs, her favorite aspect
of the music business and says, "I love singing in clubs - some nights I've performed in four different clubs!"
In spite of the glamour, her career does have it's scary moments. "I was in Puerto Rico with Sash to perform the single Pray," Tina says, "when Hurricane
George hit the island. We had to rush to the airport to get the last plane out
before they closed the island. There were people crying in the departure lounge, it
was awful." She's also had a run-in with an aeroplane propeller, and a less-than-glamorous
entrance when she was appearing with Sash!.
"I came running out on to the stage to make a big entrance, but I slipped and slid
across the floor on my bum! It was so embarrassing," she says.
