Kristine W

by John BushA former Miss America contestant with real vocal talent, Kristine W. became one of the hottest dancefloor properties during the mid-'90s, with several singles featuring her incredibly soulful voice which topped the dance charts and placed high on the pop charts through most of Europe. Born in a small town in Washington State, Kristine Weitz began singing and dancing in public from an early age, winning talent contests and beauty pageants. Crowned Miss Washington, she competed in the Miss America pageant, placing first in the talent portion of the contest. She moved to Las Vegas soon after, to go to school (and perform), gradually working her way up to be the lead performer in her own show at the Las Vegas Hilton, concurrent with a recording career which began in the early '90s. A 1994 single for Champion Records, "Feel What You Want," hit number one on the dance charts as well as the Top Five on the charts of ten European countries. The follow-up "One More Try" proved just as successful, earning Kristine W. a major-label contract with RCA. She released her debut album Land of the Living in mid-1996, and spent four years working on the follow-up, Stronger.