Claire Hamill was born in Port Clarence on the River Tees near Hartlepool, Co. Durham and began singing professionally in 1971 when she was offered a recording contract with Island Records. She has released 9 albums of songs and performed in some of the world's most prestigious venues in Europe, North America and Japan. She has written music for and appeared many times on T.V. and radio and has represented her country in the soviet block version of the Eurovision Song Contest where she won the journalists prize.