Tina Charles (singer)
| Tina Charles | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Tina Hoskins |
| Born |
10 March 1954 Whitechapel, London, England |
| Genres | Pop music, disco |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | CBS Records, PMG Music |
| Associated acts | 5000 Volts |
Tina Charles (born 10 March 1954) is an English singer who achieved success as a disco artist in the mid to late 1970s. Her most successful single was the no. 1 hit "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)" in 1976.
Born Tina Hoskins in Whitechapel, London, to actor Charles Hoskins and his wife Hilda, she recovered from meningitis as a newborn. She has a brother, Warren, who was her tour manager for a time during the height of her career.
On launching her music career, she did not use her real name, Hoskins, since this might have caused confusion with Mary Hopkin, better known at the time. She chose "Charles", as it was her father's name.
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 playing piano. During the early 1970s she supplied vocals for the Top of the Pops album series of cover versions of contemporary hits. In 1971 she made appearances in the first series of The Two Ronnies, the BBC1 sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, performing songs such as "River Deep - Mountain High" and "Ruby Tuesday".
In 1975 Charles and her friend Linda Lewis were backing vocalists on the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel chart topping song, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". She provided the lead vocals for 5000 Volts' 1975 disco hit single "I'm on Fire". Although not publicly acknowledged as a group member at the time due to contractual problems, Charles was considered to have a stronger voice than the group's later official lead singers. The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, and 26 in the Billboard Hot 100.
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