Mary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and
composer. She is best known for the album Miss America, released in
1988. She released two albums and an EP under her own name, and
remains active as a live performer, as a contributor to compilation
albums and as a guest collaborator on other artists' albums.O'Hara was
born in the late 1950s in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a large family
of Irish Catholic descent. She is the younger sister of comedic
actress Catherine O'Hara.[1] Her early musical tastes included Van
Morrison, Dinah Washington, and her father's jazz records.[2] She was
a student at the Ontario College of Art and Design in the 1970s and
was involved in the music scene as a member of Toronto bands Dollars,
Songship and Go Deo Chorus.[3]In 1983, O'Hara left Go Deo and was
signed by Virgin Records. Andy Partridge of XTC was scheduled as her
producer but was fired after his first day [4] due to his reported
difficulties with O'Hara's musical approach. Her contract with Virgin
continued and eventually led to the 1988 release of Miss America.
O'Hara later reflected on the production experience, noting "I loved
the Celtic crosses and the sheep rolling around the hills by the
studio in Wales. But for Virgin to go from, 'You can do whatever you
want', to 'What have you done?'â€"that was tough."[2][5]In addition,
she did some work as a graphic artist, including lettering for the
cover of Dalbello's album whomanfoursays.
composer. She is best known for the album Miss America, released in
1988. She released two albums and an EP under her own name, and
remains active as a live performer, as a contributor to compilation
albums and as a guest collaborator on other artists' albums.O'Hara was
born in the late 1950s in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a large family
of Irish Catholic descent. She is the younger sister of comedic
actress Catherine O'Hara.[1] Her early musical tastes included Van
Morrison, Dinah Washington, and her father's jazz records.[2] She was
a student at the Ontario College of Art and Design in the 1970s and
was involved in the music scene as a member of Toronto bands Dollars,
Songship and Go Deo Chorus.[3]In 1983, O'Hara left Go Deo and was
signed by Virgin Records. Andy Partridge of XTC was scheduled as her
producer but was fired after his first day [4] due to his reported
difficulties with O'Hara's musical approach. Her contract with Virgin
continued and eventually led to the 1988 release of Miss America.
O'Hara later reflected on the production experience, noting "I loved
the Celtic crosses and the sheep rolling around the hills by the
studio in Wales. But for Virgin to go from, 'You can do whatever you
want', to 'What have you done?'â€"that was tough."[2][5]In addition,
she did some work as a graphic artist, including lettering for the
cover of Dalbello's album whomanfoursays.
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