Tina Robin (born Harriet Ostrowsky; November 27, 1937[1] – March 16, 1996) was an American pop singer and entertainer.
Tina Robin | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Harriet Ostrowsky |
| Also known as | Harriet Kay |
| Born | (1937-11-27)November 27, 1937 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1996(1996-03-16) (aged 58) Cooper City, Florida |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, entertainer |
She was born in Newark, New Jersey. She recorded several singles under the name Harriet Kay in the mid-1950s.[2] In 1957 she appeared on a popular television quiz show, Hold That Note, and won,[3] gaining recognition for her powerful singing voice and her personality; she was 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) tall, and nicknamed "The Little Dynamo".[4]
She was managed by Buddy Kaye,[3] and recorded for Coral Records, releasing several singles in the late 1950s but with little success.[2]
However, she released an LP, The 4 Seasons, on Coral in 1958,[5] and was also a regular performer on the Sing Along television show, presented by Jim Lowe.[6] By 1960, she was managed by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins of Aldon Music,[7] and she began releasing singles on the Mercury label.[2] Her only chart success came in 1961, when her recording "Play It Again", written by Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Howard Greenfield, reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6]
She also worked as a session singer on many of Goffin and King's demo recordings in the early 1960s.[8]
Robin continued to sing and perform comedy and impressions in clubs in New York, as well as in Las Vegas, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson shows.[4]
Robin died at her home in Cooper City, Florida, in 1996.[4]