O’Neill came into the world on 23 November 1952 in Nelson, New Zealand, and has long been recognized as a leading singer-songwriter throughout her home country. Her professional career began in the early 1970s, when she collected multiple ‘Queen Of Pop’ titles while serving as vocalist and pianist for several soft rock ensembles such as Suitewater, Chapta and Shiner. In September 1978 she secured a recording deal with CBS Records. Her songs stood apart from those of most other singer-songwriters because they centered on piano rather than guitar, yet she consistently performed them with a full band. The first records she issued found an immediate audience, earning platinum certification for Maybe and Foreign Affairs along with a string of successful singles. Later releases enjoyed far less commercial traction, and a conflict with her label left her without any new recordings between 1984 and 1986. A fresh agreement with Polydor Records brought out Danced In The Fire in 1987; the album received favorable critical notices and considerable airplay, though it failed to translate into strong sales. Following the appearance of one more collection, Edge Of Winter in 1990, O’Neill shifted her primary focus to songwriting.
