haron Lea O’Neill (born 23 November 1952, Nelson, New Zealand) is a singer-songwriter and pianist from New Zealand, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with «Maxine» which reached #16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association of New Zealand charts.
Biography
O’Neill began her solo career in the early 1970s in her home country after a short stint with kiwi band Chapta, then gained moderate success in Australia with the hit «Words» (AUS #56) and the subsequent singles «How Do You Talk to Boys?» (AUS #25, 1980), «Maybe» (AUS #38, 1981), «Losing You» (AUS #26, 1983), and «Power» (AUS #36, 1984).
The early 1980s proved her most commercially successful period, composing and performing the soundtrack to the 1981 film «Smash Palace», and with the Foreign Affairs album in 1983 spawning her biggest hit «Maxine» (AUS #16, 1983) a song which chronicled the life of a Kings Cross prostitute. A legal battle with her then record company Sony caused a delay in her career. During the enforced hiatus, O’Neill wrote songs for ABC TV series Sweet and Sour (1984) including the title song performed by Deborah Conway (later recorded by O’Neill as «In Control») and «Glam to Wham». O’Neill met American keyboardist and songwriter, Alan Mansfield on Dragon’s Body And The Beat Tour of New Zealand in 1984—they later became domestic and professional partners.
In 1987 O’Neill returned with arguably her best album (if under-rated at the time) Danced in the Fire on Polygram which featured some biographical songs about the legal wrangles with Sony.
O’Neill’s last album of new material, Edge of Winter, was released in 1990. A mature work, two singles were taken from this album, «Satin Sheets» and «Poster Girl», both of which failed to find chart success.
In 1991, O’Neill collaborated with Robert Palmer and they wrote «True Love» together for Palmer’s Don’t Explain. She also contributed vocals on that release. In 1994, O’Neill and Palmer joined forces once again, writing «Love Takes Time» for Palmer’s Honey. She contributed vocals to that release, as well as to Palmer’s 1999 Rhythm and Blues and 2003’s Drive.
In 2001 she toured as a guest artist with a New Zealand female act, When The Cat’s Away. In 2005 she toured Australia as a support act for Leo Sayer and a comprehensive collection of her greatest hits was released on CD. In 2006 and early 2007 O’Neill again toured Australia supporting Leo Sayer.
In August / September 2007 O’Neill toured as part of the ‘Countdown Spectacular 2’ concert series Australia-wide and toured Australia and New Zealand on The Let It Be Tour (The Beatles tribute show) in November / December 2007.
