Tara Blaise facts for kids

Tara Blaise (born March 1, 1975) is an Irish singer. She sings pop, folk, and rock music. Tara was born in London, England. When she was three years old, her family moved to Ireland. She grew up in Aughrim in County Wicklow.

About Tara Blaise

How Tara Started in Music

Tara's parents loved drama and music. Her dad was an architect, and her mom taught speech and drama. Tara started learning speech and drama at a young age. She studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Tara began her singing career when she was 16. She formed a band called Les Legumes with her school friends. Later, she sang backup for a band called The Wilde Oscars. This helped her get noticed in the Irish music scene.

After that, she joined a band called Igloo. They became well-known for their live shows. They released some popular songs. Then, a band called Kaydee asked her to join. Tara re-recorded their album with her voice. It received very good reviews. Even though they toured a lot, Kaydee did not become super famous.

Tara's Solo Music

Her First Solo Album: Wild Ocean

Tara decided to start her solo career. A friend connected her with John Hughes. He was the manager for the famous band The Corrs. He also worked on the film The Commitments.

John Hughes was working on his own music album called Wild Ocean. He needed a singer and songwriter. Tara and John worked together on a song called 'Dancing in the Wind'. They liked working together so much that they recorded another song, 'Come Away'. Tara also studied drama at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. She sang on 'Deo', the first song from John's album. Tara also appeared in the music videos for 'Deo' and 'Dancing in the Wind'.

Making Music: Dancing on Tables Barefoot

John Hughes offered Tara a deal to make her own album. She went to Los Angeles to work with Olle Romo, who had produced music for The Corrs. This led to her first solo album, Dancing on Tables Barefoot. Her first solo song was 'Fool for Love'. It only featured Tara's voice and a string quartet.

Both 'Fool for Love' and her next song, 'Paperback Cliché', were played on BBC Radio 2 in the UK. Tara toured many radio stations in the UK. She performed with Anthony Drennan, who was a guitarist for The Corrs.

'Paperback Cliché' was a huge hit on Irish radio. It was played over 400 times. It was also featured in the movie Tara Road. Her album Dancing on Tables Barefoot came out in the summer of 2005. Critics said it was a "warm and honest record."

In 2005, Tara performed at many music festivals. These included The Isle of Wight Festival and V Festivals. She also played at the Oxegen Festival in Ireland. Tara had her first headlining tour in Ireland.

A slightly different version of Dancing on Tables Barefoot was released in Spain in 2006. Their first song was 'The Three Degrees'. It reached number 9 on the Spanish radio charts. Tara promoted the album in Spain with guitarist Anthony Drennan.

Her Album: Great Escape

In 2007, Tara opened for singer Michael Ball on his UK tour. She released the song 'Fall at the Start' in June 2007. This song is also on her second album, Great Escape, which came out in May 2008.

Great Escape includes the songs 'Breathe' and 'Make You'. 'Make You' was produced by Robert John 'Mutt' Lange, a famous music producer. In 2009, Tara submitted a song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. However, it did not make it to the finals.

In 2012, Tara released a new song she wrote herself called Our New Horizon.

Acting on Stage and in Films

In 2006, Tara acted in the first stage show of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. She performed with famous singers like Justin Hayward and Russell Watson. The show toured the UK and Ireland. Tara also performed at a special concert in Trafalgar Square.

Tara is also part of the play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners. She performed this play in Barbados and Guernsey. In 2009, Tara had a part in a play called The Rivals at the Abbey theatre. She also worked on short films like Dental Breakdown and 'The Opening'.

Modeling Work

Tara has also worked as a model. She was featured in an advertising campaign for a Dublin make-up brand called Face2. In 2008, she modeled for Tommy Hilfiger in Ireland. In 2009, Tara appeared on the RTÉ show Off the Rails.

Awards and Nominations

At the 2009 Meteor Awards, Tara was nominated for Best Irish Female Artist. She was a finalist but did not win the award.

The Voice of Ireland

Tara auditioned for the first season of the TV show The Voice of Ireland. This was a surprise to some people because she already had a professional music contract. She sang Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" but did not get any of the coaches to turn their chairs.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Collaborations