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The daughter of a naval officer, Norma Tanega, born in Vallejo, California on January 30, 1939, embarked on a musical career after earning a Master's degree in Fine Arts and working as a summer camp counselor. Noticed by producer Bob Crewe, she signed a contract with New Voice Records and recorded the album Walkin' My Cat Named Dog (1966), in which her deep voice is combined with an elegant folk style edged with pop arrangements. The success of the title track, charted at No. 22, did not lead to an immediate follow-up for the singer, who offered her songwriting talent to her partner Dusty Springfield. Norma Tanega moved to England to work on her second album, I Don't Think It Will Hurt (1971). Back in her homeland, she specialized in percussion and experimental music, while continuing to teach music at her old school in Claremont. Her third and final album, Hybrid Vigor, produced with Mike Henderson, was released in 1996. The following year, Norma Tanega evoked her relationship with Dusty Springfield in a song in his name, co-written with pianist Blossom Dearie. Rediscovered in 1999, when her first album was released on compact disc, the cult singer died on December 29, 2019, aged 80.
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