Toni Basil
b. Antonia Basilotta, 22 September 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. American singer/dancer/actress Basil was responsible for the choreography on the legendary US 60s pop shows, Hullabaloo and Shindig. She was also actively involved in the Monkees' 1968 cult movie Head, the following year's Easy Rider, and the highly successful American Graffiti in 1973. David Bowie employed Basil's choreographical services for his elaborately staged Diamond Dogs tour and other rock artists followed his lead. By the early 80s, Basil had moved into the video field, co-directing Talking Heads among others. Backed by her own dance troupe, the Lockers, she recorded the hit album Word Of Mouth in 1981, which featured musical backing by two former members of Seatrain. The Chinn And Chapman composition "Mickey" (originally recorded by the band Racey as "Kitty") brought her a surprise UK number 2 in 1982 and several months later it reached number 1 in her homeland. With her related interests in different fields of the music and film business, Basil seemed unlikely to pursue an exclusively vocal career and failed to register any further major hits.
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