Marcia Hines

When she was fourteen she won a scholarship to the New England Conservatorium Of Music, but only lasted three months, much more interested "in the Rolling Stones than Traviata". A month after her sixteenth birthday her babysitter took Marcia along to the famous Woodstock Pop Festival.

When Marcia was a tender 16 year old, it was the age of the musical 'Hair' with productions of the hit "rock musical" being mounted all around the world. What the rest of the world didn't have at the time was a huge supply of homegrown black female singers, a necessary commodity for a staging of 'Hair'. Back in Boston Marcia's best friend told her how her sister Donna Summer had gone to Germany to appear in their 'Hair', and suggested that Marcia might do the same.

Marcia joined the cast of Hair in April 1970, and immediately won praise from audiences and critics alike with her powerful and soulful vocal performances. She stayed in the show right up to the time her baby was born on 4 September 1970, and returned to work immediately afterwards.

Marcia’s success in Hair led to her next major stage role, that of Mary Magdalene in the Harry M. Miller - Jim Sharman production of Jesus Christ Superstar. She took over from Michelle Fawdon in 1973, becoming the first black singer anywhere in the world to play this role. When that show ended in February 1974 Marcia the lady, a total show stopper in her role as Mary Magdelene, had her first opportunity to relax and look around her adopted country.
Soon after Marcia signed on as singer with the jazz-orchestra the Daly-Wilson Big Band as its front line vocalist and four record breaking club tours have put this lady into a position of enormous respect and recognition as the unquestionable "First Lady Of Song". During this time Marcia toured Australia, the USA, where they performed at a White House recital as well as supporting B.B. King and Wilson Pickett in Las Vegas. The band also undertook a ground-breaking month-long tour of the Soviet Union, which was filmed for a documentary.

A critic of the time write of Marcia... "Her vocals gave the feeling of restrained, elegant black soul. The ability to move from the sheer joy of the Stephen Stills song "Love The One You're With" to the emotional torment that is the legend of her first single, James Taylor's Fire and Rain. This Lady is a very special person, she rightfully claims the position of First Lady and there is no-one to disclaim that title. Although other black performers came to Australia before and after (e.g. Chelsea Brown, Delilah) Marcia was without question the first black American performer to become a bona fide star in this country, and certainly there was no-one quite like her on the Australian music scene when she first arrived in 1970."

Marcia’s 2001 single I’ve Got To Believe was written and produced by leading Australian dance music producer Paulmac. In September 2001 Pan MacMillan published Marcia’s authorized biography, Diva, written by Karen Dewey, and to coincide with the book Warner Music released a career retrospective under the same title in October. Presumably encouraged by this renewed interest in Marcia’s music, BMG issued another compilation, the old Wizard Greatest Hits Vol.1 album, on CD.

From January to April 2002 Marcia starred in the lead role of Roxie Rochelle in the ‘70s-themed musical Oh! What A Night and she also featured with Paulmac (winner of the ‘Best Dance Artist’ category) leading the chorus in the show-stopping finale performance of his hit single Just Enough (For A Broken Heart) at the 2002 ARIA Awards.

Marcia was signed for a challenging role as a judge in Australian premiere of the reality television show "Australian Idol" with Network Ten. With all these great things happening Marcia faced her biggest personal set back, since loosing her beloved brother Dwyat all those years ago. Marcia's mother passed away in May 2003 leaving a big void in the lives of Marcia and Deni.

June 2003 saw Marcia committed to the national tour with Australian Idol to select the cream of Australia's undiscovered stars of tomorrow. Now in it's third year, Marcia is still with the Australian Idol cast and has warmed the hearts of millions with her compassion in this role.