Melissa Tkautz
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| Melissa Natalie Tkautz | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Melissa Natalie Tkautz |
| Born | ) 24 January 1974 |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Pop Dance Europop |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Phantom Records & Westside Records (1991) JRB Music Distributors: Big Records & Rajon Music Group (2005) & Central Station Records (2007–2009) & Independent (2009–Now) |
| Website | www.melissatkautz.net |
Melissa Natalie Tkautz (born 24 January 1974) is an Australian actress, singer, songwriter and model.
Contents |
Television career
Tkautz was born in Sydney. By the age of 17 she had appeared in over 160 television and print commercials. She began acting in soap operas Richmond Hill and Home & Away in the late 1980s. Tkautz also had a supporting role in the mini-series The Girl from Tomorrow. During this time, she attended the Academy of Dramatic and Social Arts in Sydney, graduating in 1991.
At age 17, Tkautz was cast in the role of Nikki Spencer on the mega hit Australian soap opera E Street. Tkautz soon became one of the show's main stars due to the popularity of her character. In 1991, she was voted as the hottest female on the earth by readers of TV Hits Magazine. Due to this popularity, the producers decided to have Tkautz record a song, which would be used in the show as part of a dream sequence, where Nikki had dreamed she was a pop star. This resulted in a recording career for Tkautz. However, due to the pressures of juggling two full-time careers, Tkautz left E Street to concentrate on her music career.
In 1993, Tkautz returned to E Street. However, the network decided to axe E Street in May 1993.
In 1993 and 1994, Tkautz appeared on Paradise Beach, playing Vanessa Campbell, the manipulative ex-girlfriend of Sean Hayden (played by Ingo Rademacher).
In 1995, she had a role in Echo Point.
In 1996, Tkautz joined the series Pacific Drive, where she played a model named Bethany Daniels. This role was a major career move for Tkautz, who played the first long-term HIV positive character on Australian television. The series has since gained a cult following. When the show was cancelled after two seasons, Tkautz joined the cast of Medivac as Nurse Evie Morrison.
Tkautz later appeared in the series All Saints.
In late 2008, Tkautz starred in Swift and Shift Couriers (created by the same crew that created Fat Pizza). It aired on SBS ONE. Filming took place in early 2008, with some episodes being shot in Thailand and Egypt. This season had eight episodes that aired on TV during October/November 2008. She returned for a second season of the show in 2011.
Tkautz was also a guest star in controversial comedy Housos.
Singing career
Tkautz was signed to the Laser Music label by record producer and promoter Gene Pierson who had the song "Read My Lips" specially written for her. The single was launched via the show and soon reached the number one position on the ARIA Charts, the highest-selling single by an Australian artist in 1991. The single's B-side was titled "Say Goodbye". The song was parodied by Gina Riley on the comedy television series Fast Forward as "Pout Your Lips".
Since 1991, Tkautz has re-recorded "Read My Lips" twice: the first version as the "Electro Pushers Remix", which was to be included as a bonus track on her unreleased third album, Glamorous Life; and the second version as the "Neon Stereo Remix", which was performed live by Tkautz on Channel 7's The Morning Show. This version is legally not allowed to be used outside of the Channel 7 broadcast as it has not been publicly released by Neon Stereo.
Tkautz performed "Sexy (Is the Word)" at the 1991 Rugby League Grand Final. Also in 1991, Tkautz toured the country as a support act for C+C Music Factory's Australian Tour. In 1992, having left E Street, Tkautz released her debut album Fresh. Tkautz also performed a national tour.
In 2005, Tkautz released a new single, a cover version of "The Glamorous Life", a song originally performed by Sheila E and written by Prince. The single had some success internationally, and in July 2007, was released in the Netherlands. Also In 2005, Tkautz re-recorded "Sexy (Is The Word)", which was included as a bonus track on her 2005 album Lost & Found. Tkautz travelled to Sweden in early 2006 to work with 2N. While there she recorded "Easily Affected" and "Not Enough".
Personal life
In 2007, a New Idea magazine article revealed Tkautz had relationships with E Street co-stars Marcus Graham and Simon Baker. Baker also appeared in the video for her single "Read My Lips".
In 2009, Tkautz wed Kwesi, her partner of five years.
Discography
Albums
- 1992 Fresh
- 2005 Lost & Found
- 2012 The Hits and More
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Australia ARIA Charts Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles Chart | Australasian Chart | Dance Chart | Club Chart | |||
| 1991 | "Read My Lips" | Fresh | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| "Sexy (Is the Word)" | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1992 | "Skin to Skin" | 16 | 8 | |||
| "My House" | Failed to Chart or Peak | |||||
| 1993 | "Is It...?" | Single Only | 39 | |||
| 2005 | "The Glamorous Life" | Lost & Found | 31 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| "All I Want" | 72 | 19 | 10 | 28 | ||
| 2006 | "Easily Affected" | Single Only | 86 | 17 | 11 | |
| 2008 | "I Want Your Love" | Single Only | 60 | 18 | 8 | |
Awards and recognition
| Year | Award-giving Body | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | ARIA Award | Highest Selling Single (Read My Lips) | Won |
| Best New Talent (Read My Lips) | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | Logie Award | Best New Talent (E-Street) | Nominated |
See also
References
- "CelebritiesTime.com". Biography information. Retrieved 23 April 2006.
- "Talk About The Music". Information. Retrieved 23 April 2006.
