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HAZEL OCONNOR - biography
"The sturdiness and earthy expression of her voice marvellous"
Hot Press December 2005
Hidden Heart is Hazels best album in a career that spans a quarter of a century. It also includes three duets, one with Moya Brennan (the voice of Clannad), Tell Me Why sung with Rob Reynolds, and a re-invention of the classic If Only (from Breaking Glass) with Tony Dangerfield of The Subterraneans.
The album was produced by the legendary Martin Rushent (Human Leagues Dare, Stranglers, Buzzcocks), and Hazel has teamed up again with celebrated Irish harpist, Cormac De Barra. Cormac has been performing with Hazel since 1998 and they immediately formed a strong bond after their first project, Hazels autobiographical Beyond Breaking Glass show, which was dubbed "the highlight
of the Edinburgh Festival" by the Guardian.
Hazels inspiration for Hidden Heart came from reading Antoine de Saint-Exupérys book The Little Prince. Here, the fox tells the Little Prince a secret we only see what is true with our hearts.
Born in Coventry, England, Hazel OConnor had a story to tell long before she hit the headlines as the first major female star of the 80s. She left home at 16, lived in a squat in Amsterdam, travelled to Morocco then headed across the pole to Japan where she worked as a dancer. Next stop was Beirut in the Lebanon, to dance at The Crazy Horse. However, civil war broke out and she was forced to leave. She travelled from West Africa, overland, crossing the Sahara desert, to North Africa, finally getting back to London and wondered what to do with the rest of her life well she was 21 now! Inspired by her older brother Neil OConnor and the punk movement, she decided to try her hand at singing and song-writing because singing made me happy she said.
She was picked by director Brian Gibson to star in the film Breaking Glass, Dodi Fayeds first film as an executive producer, alongside Phil Daniels, Jim Broadbent and Jonathan Price. She won the Variety Club of Great Britains 1980 Film Actress Of The Year award and was also nominated for Best Newcomer. Hazel wrote and performed all the songs for the film and the best selling album (produced by Tony Visconti) was also nominated for a BAFTA for the Best Film Soundtrack.
Her next album Sons and Lovers spawned the hit Decadent Days (aka D-Days). When she performed the song on Top Of The Pops, she shocked the nation when she stripped down to her black bra and miniskirt. In spite of the hit singles and sold out concert tours, storm clouds were gathering as the contracts that Hazel had signed with her label and publisher were fundamentally flawed and despite the millions of records sold, Hazel was headed for bankruptcy.
Ever the survivor, she turned to her other talent, acting, and starred in the BBC drama series Fighting Back, co-starring with Derek Thompson, of Casualty fame, who was also member of the Breaking Glass cast. The series received rave reviews and Hazel left on a high to live in Los Angeles. She married, continued her career in the States but, at the beginning of the 90s, after a skin cancer scare, moved to the home of her forefathers, Ireland, where she remains based to this day.
In the early 90s, she signed a new deal to Sony Germany and recorded the albums To Be Free, Over The Moon, and Private Wars (producer Paul Barrett), which were successful in Germany, France and throughout the European continent. When the Sony deal expired, Hazel decide to take control of her life and recorded the Live In Berlin album followed by a new studio album, Five In The Morning. After the last big band tour in 1998 to promote Five In The Morning, bass player and good pal, Herbie Flowers (Sky, Lou Reeds Walk On The Wild Side) encouraged her to tell her life story in a show. Go to the Edinburgh Fringe he urged; and thus, Beyond Breaking Glass, the show, was born. Working with celebrated harpist Cormac De Barra, the show has played to critical acclaim all over Europe as well as USA and Australia. Out of the show, came the album.
Now, finally Hazel had taken control of every aspect of her career: doing the artwork, selling the CDs, booking gigs and driving the van. Once again, years ahead of the pack as now more and more big name artists take the same self-empowering route. Various other continents now beckon with requests for live performances, currently, South Africa and Canada.
Hazel linked up with Invisible Hands Music, whose policy of artistic freedom made a good match, reissued her 90s DIY albums at the end of 2002 and her first-ever best of, A Singular Collection, at the end of 2003. March 2004 saw the release of her first single for close on a decade a cover of George Michaels One More Try.
In 2004 Hazel got together with Coventry homeboys The Subterraneans to bring a melding of her superb vocals with soaring sax, guitars, bass and drums the full band sound. Breaking Glass territory meets Hazels Celtic Soul Beat roots. A live DVD (Eighth Day: Live In Brighton) and live CD (Fighting Back) was recorded and released the following year. Also in 2004 she also took the stage for a packed out Avalon Field at Glastonbury (in her wellies!) by storm: Pure musical delight..that voice...timeless! Hazel OConnor calls the tune. (Glastonbury Festival Official Website live review)
2005 saw the release of Hidden Heart (No 10 Best Folk & Alternative album 2005 HOT PRESS), UK tours and various festivals including Celtic Connections, Henley, Wasted, Beautiful Days, as well as building a new kitchen. 2006 saw Hazel and Cormac, now joined by Ruairà de Barra working in Ireland as well as some eclectic festivals including The Sliabh An Iarainn Arts Festival, Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival and Wasted. Hazel has also found time to appear on The Podge and Rodge Show, in a new show about Gráinne Nà Mháille, and re-floor the bathroom.
Whats in the future? Hazel OConnor is a genuine artist and songwriter and she will continue to write, perform and travel, working with the wonderful musicians around her and maintain her firm grip on the steering wheel. This mavericks profile will continue to rise.
This is a singer that transcends all the years and she is as good now, as she was then. George Jones BBC Radio Ulster
Hidden Heart is a beautiful, introspective album
Sunday Tribune
Hazels puts her own spin on traditional music in the good company of Moya Brennan & master harpist Cormac De Barra primal and raw
- Ireland on Sunday
Flanked by a harpist and a guitar player, she performs songs that are heartfelt and remarkably accessible their natural home, surely is daytime radio, and the upper echelons of the pop charts.
- Irish Independent
