Maria Dallas

Country singer Marina Devcich was working as an apprentice hairdresser when she was discovered at a Waikato talent contest in 1964. Viking Records’ chief Ron Dalton changed her name to Maria Dallas and in 1966 her single 'Tumblin’ Down' was a pop hit and won the Loxene Golden Disc Award. She recorded in Nashville and shifted to Australia where she released successful singles, ran a Brisbane club, and won Queensland Country Singer of the Year six times. In 1970 she topped the NZ charts with ‘Pinocchio’.