Born on 18 July 1968 in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, Tania Maree Kernaghan grew up surrounded by music as the daughter of Ray Kernaghan and sibling to brother Lee Kernaghan and sister Fiona. She stepped onto the stage for the first time at age four and soon became a regular performer. At six she joined Lee’s band, the Blue Devils, and by eighteen she had assembled her own group, which quickly found an audience. Working with Fiona, she co-wrote several well-received songs, among them ‘I’ll Be Gone’, released as her debut single in 1992.
Her first three albums generated multiple hit singles and brought repeated recognition at the Australian Country Music Awards throughout the late 1990s. December Moon captured Album Of The Year in 1997 and reached platinum certification, while ‘The Verandah’ earned the Golden Guitar for Best Female Vocal. The follow-up album Dancing On Water included the track ‘Dunroamin’ Station’, which received extensive airplay and won the 1999 Golden Guitar for Best Female Vocal, and the album itself climbed to number 3 on the charts. Her fourth album appeared in 2005 on her father’s record label. Between 2005 and 2006 she also hosted Channel 7’s Queenslander Weekender.
The Riding for the Disabled Association selected ‘When I Ride’ as its official song in 1999, and Kernaghan served the organization as Vice Patron. Away from music she competed in rodeo events on horseback and demonstrated skill as a racecar driver by winning the 2000 Celebrity Grand Prix. Further honors include the People’s Choice Award for Female Vocalist in 2000 and 2006, her appointment as Australia Day Ambassador in 2003, and her induction in 2005 as the first woman into the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. She has also performed successfully at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
