Maria Dallas (born Marina Devcich, 1946) was discovered at a talent contest in small town of Morrinsville, New Zealand.[1]
Maria Dallas | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marina Devcich |
| Born | 1946 (age 75–76) Morrinsville, New Zealand |
| Genres | Country, Pop |
| Labels | Viking Records |
Her first single "Tumblin' Down", written by Jay Epae, released in 1966 and made it to #11 in the charts.[2] It also won her a Loxene Golden Disc award.[3] She released several albums and singles and starred in the New Zealand television series Golden Girl[4] before moving on to Australia in 1967 recording "Ambush" charting #20 in Australia and then to Nashville. She returned to New Zealand in 1970 and scored a #1 hit with the song "Pinocchio".[5][6] The song spent six weeks at number one during the autumn of the year. In total, Dallas produced at least 10 albums and 25 singles.[7] "Pinocchio" peaked at number 96 in Australia in March 1971.[8]
Dallas met Barry Kairl while she was performing in Brisbane, and he became her manager. They married in 1968, and had a daughter in May 1969. The relationship ended in 1983.[7]
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | "Tumbling Down" | Single of the Year | Won | [9] |
| 1967 | "Handy Man" | Single of the Year | Nominated |
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