Thea Austin facts for kids

Thea Tereese Austin, born on June 10, 1960, is an American singer, songwriter, and composer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is best known as the lead singer and co-writer of the famous German Eurodance song "Rhythm Is a Dancer" by the group Snap!.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Thea Austin was born in Pittsburgh and started singing at a very young age. She began singing with her older sister, Vontelle, when she was just four years old. By the time she was eight, singing had already become her job. Later, when she moved to California, she wrote music columns for magazines like The R&B Report, which was a publication for the music industry. Thea has four sisters and one brother.

Musical Career Highlights

Working with Snap!

In the early 1990s, after finishing a music tour in Japan, Thea Austin returned to Los Angeles. She started writing songs for her own album with music producer Michael Eckart. A friend introduced her to Penny Ford, who had just left the group Snap!.

Thea then traveled to Germany and met the producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. This meeting led to her working on Snap!'s album, The Madman's Return. Thea wrote or helped write all the songs on this album, including Snap!'s huge international hit, "Rhythm Is a Dancer". In 2015, she received an award for her lyrics when the song "Don't 'Tell 'Em" by Jeremih used parts of her lyrics.

Originally, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was planned to be the first song released from the album. However, another song, "Colour of Love," which Thea also co-wrote and sang lead vocals on, was released instead. "Colour of Love" did well in several countries, reaching number 6 in France and Sweden, and number 9 in Germany. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" became an even bigger hit. It reached number 1 in the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, and number 5 in the US. Other songs from the album that Thea helped write included "Do You See The Light."

Cutoff feat. Thea Austin

In 1993, Thea Austin met German producer Tom Copperfield in Koblenz. She wrote the lyrics for a music project called "Cutoff." They recorded an album called Don't Stop with other artists like Rachel Steel. A music video for the first single, "DON'T STOP," was filmed in Los Angeles. Another single, "Move," became a Top 10 hit in many European countries, and more singles followed.

Soulsearcher Project

In 1999, Thea Austin joined forces with Marc Pomeroy to create the group Soulsearcher. Their song "Can't Get Enough" became a big hit, reaching number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. This song was inspired by and used parts of "Let's Lovedance Tonight" by Gary's Gang. Later that year, "Can't Get Enough" also reached number 20 on the US Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. Thea and Marc performed at a big concert in London called The Prince's Trust Party in the Park in 1999. Their second single, "Do It to Me Again," reached number 32 on the UK Singles Chart before the duo decided to go their separate ways.

Pusaka Collaboration

Thea Austin also joined a DJ group called Pusaka. She wrote and sang the lead vocals for their 2001 hit song, "You're the Worst Thing for Me." This song won the Best Underground 12" Award at the Winter Music Conference in Miami in March 2002. It also reached number 34 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart and number 1 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.

Boombox! Concert Series

In May 2022, Thea Austin was part of a concert series called "Boombox!" at the Westgate Las Vegas. This show featured different hip hop artists, including Thea, performing with a live DJ and drummer.

Chart Successes

Thea Austin has been part of many successful songs that have appeared on music charts around the world. Here are some of her notable chart achievements:

• Snap!

* "Colour of Love" (1991): Reached number 6 in France and Sweden, number 9 in Germany, and number 54 in the UK. * "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (1992): A massive hit, reaching number 1 in the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, and number 5 in the US.

• Soulsearcher

* "Can't Get Enough" (1999): Reached number 8 in the UK and number 20 on the US Dance chart. * "Do It to Me Again" (2000): Reached number 32 in the UK.

• Pusaka

* "You're the Worst Thing for Me" (2002): Reached number 1 on the US Dance Singles Sales chart and number 34 on the US Dance chart.