Though you may not immediately recognize her name, you most certainly know diva Thea Austin’s powerful pipes. A favorite at circuit parties and pride events, Austin, a Los Angeles resident, initially found success as lead vocalist for ’90s European groups Snap! and Soulsearcher. More recently, Austin has been the featured vocalist in several Billboard chart topping dance tracks.
Perhaps Austin’s biggest claim to fame is as the arresting voice behind Snap!’s 1992 international hit “Rhythm Is a Dancer,” a single to which she lent not only her vocals but also her writing talent.
“That song opened the vortex for me,” Austin says. “It has helped me in so many ways, and it’s been a blessing. People come to me and request it all the time. I still hear it in elevators, at aerobics class, in salons, or even in Old Navy. People still seem to be interested in hearing and celebrating the song.”
Austin is unfettered by the notion that the song and her name weren’t always connected by audiences. “Being somewhat invisible allows me to stand back and watch how the song naturally impacts people,” Austin says. “That is almost more fun than having someone point me out of a crowd. The biggest reward is not always having someone recognize my name or my face.”
Neither is she troubled by the sometimes burdensome title of diva. “To me, a diva is someone with courage, someone who isn’t afraid to tackle challenges, someone with high style. Just by my nature of living life and loving life, I suppose that I have acquired certain diva-like characteristics. I’ve certainly grown bolder, and I like colorful surroundings.”
Austin will return to Dallas for Saturday night’s Razzle Dazzle performance where she will no doubt be eager to connect with the crowd. (You can also read interviews with fellow performers Josh Zuckerman, Patrick Boyd and Ray Isaac here.)
“I have always liked live performance better than the [recording] studio,” she says. “I love the rawness of live performance. The energy that is created is just the coolest.”
One of Austin’s career highlights was certainly a 1992 performance in Bucharest when Snap! opened a Michael Jackson concert before a crowd of about 80,000. Sadly, the diva of dance did not have an opportunity to speak with the King of Pop.
“Backstage we were politely asked to make our way quietly out of the area,” Austin recalls. “He didn’t want us looking at him while he was in the corner preparing to perform, so there was really no connection between me and Mike. But it was a big career highlight for me.”
She did, though, once have a chance to connect with the legendary jazz artist Dizzy Gillespie who imparted some invaluable career advice.
“He taught me that my voice is my instrument and that nothing should come before caring for it,” she recalls. “He shared simple wisdom with me that stuck.”
If she had not found her calling in music, Austin — who holds degrees in both psychology and education — would most likely have become a schoolteacher.
“When I was 4 years old, I had the most beautifulist — and I don’t mean most beautiful, either — preschool teacher,” she says. “I enjoyed learning with her. I remember learning about numbers and the ABCs by singing about them. I remember learning how to count by playing hopscotch. She made learning fun.”
— Scott Huffman
