Christa Collins

Christa Larson Collins (born July 4, 1979 in Iowa, United States) is a Swedish American singer, dancer, model, and songwriter. She was the first artist signed to Disney Records as a child. She is a designer for limited edition hair accessories and feather fascinators and participated in Season 1 of The X Factor, making it to the judges houses before being eliminated.

Christa Collins
Birth nameChrista Larson
Born (1979-07-04) July 4, 1979
Iowa, United States
OriginLos Angeles
GenresRock and roll, garage rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)Singer, dancer, model, song writer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1990 - present
Websitethewoollybandits.com

She expressed an interest in becoming a Marine biologist as a child.[1] Christa is shy when she's not performing.[2] Christa Larson is the youngest daughter of Michael Larson and the late Denise DeCero Larson. As a small child Christa lived in St. Louis, but after turning down the opportunity to be on Broadway she, her parents, and her older sister moved to California.[3] Christa began modeling when she was 6.[4]

Career

In Disney

As Disney's first child recording artist and a prototype for a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, launched by a newly formed Disney Records, Christa Larson released Minnie 'n Me: Songs Just For Girls in 1990. She performed in a guest appearance on Michael Jackson's "Heal the World" in 1991.

On May 9, 1991 while Christa was on tour in Australia promoting her new CD she got sick and when they passed by a hospital Denise Larson wanted to go inside to see if they could make an appointment for her daughter. While her mother was crossing the street she was accidentally run over by a male hit and run driver. Denise died from her injuries.[5] The driver was never found. Christa was eventually dropped from Disney Records and her second album was shelved. Her father is now remarried to his third wife. After losing her mother who was also her manager Larson effectively left show business in 1992. After Denise died Christa dropped out of high school. Christa later married Rik Collins.[6]

In Woolly Bandits

After staying away from performances for a long time, Collins returned to the stage as the front woman of the rock and roll band Woolly Bandits. The band released "Woman of Mass Destruction" in 2009 to positive reviews and became KROQ radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer's favorite new band and album.[7]

Collins also sang "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" alongside Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) at the 2009 memorial of Sky Saxon, The Seeds founder.

In The X Factor

Collins applied for the first season of The X Factor USA. During the Top 100 stage of the competition, Collins sang "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol along with group members Henri Bredouw, Hannah Jackson, Emma Henry, Ryan Sims, The Brewers, and Kyle Corr. Later, she was chosen to be one of the eight acts for the "over-30s" category that would advance to the judges' houses. For one of her performances at the judges' houses stage, she sang "No Surprises" by Radiohead. However, she did not pass through to the top 17.

Discography

Albums
  • 1990: Minnie 'n Me: Songs Just For Girls (Disney Records)
  • 2009: Woman of Mass Destruction (Citation Records)
  • 2013 "All Caught Up In You EP" (Self release)

Compilations

Music videos
  • 1990: The Girls On Minnie Street (Disney Records)
  • 1990: The Girls On Minnie Street Sing-A-Long (Disney Records)[8]

References
  1. 'Minnie 'n Me' to Help Merchandise a Mouse : Marketing: Disney Records division hopes that an Anaheim girl's songs will create a new lifestyle for youngsters, giving them their own hero and their own best friend.
  2. A Little Minnie Music
  3. Mouse Music Christa Larson, At 11, Is The Key To A Minnie Conglomerate
  4. Star Of Disney's First Album Thinks Kids Will Be Be All Ears
  5. The X-Factor Contestant Christa Collins Comes Back to the Music
  6. Former St. Louisan hopes to have the 'X Factor'
  7. Artist First Network, Woolly Bandits, archived from the original on 2012-03-16 (audio file)
  8. Christa's Like Any 11-Year-Old Girl, Except She's A Star
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.