Margaret Urlich, an Aria award-winning singer and one of New Zealand’s most successful musicians, has died aged 57.
Born in Auckland, Urlich died on Monday of cancer at her home in New South Wales’ Southern Highlands.
“It is with incredible sadness that we inform you that Margaret Urlich passed away peacefully … surrounded by her family after a courageous two and a half year battle with cancer,” said a statement from Urlich’s family.
“Margaret is a much-loved multi award-winning member of the Australian and New Zealand music industry who captured hearts around the world as a gifted singer/songwriter with a unique voice and sense of style.”
Urlich’s condition was known to her friends and colleagues, but was kept private from the public at the request of her family.
The singer began her career in 1985, fronting the new wave outfit Peking Man, before joining the all-female pop group When The Cat’s Away. Their single Melting Pot became a hit, going to No 1 on the New Zealand charts.
“Margaret was a true and rare talent,” bandmate Dianne Swann from When The Cat’s Away told New Zealand publication Stuff. “She lit up any room, and if you were on stage with her you had to lift your game. She was a uniquely gifted person, and I will always miss her.”
The band was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in December 2021.
Urlich moved to Australia in 1988, where she pursued a successful solo career. Her debut solo single, Escaping, made her the first female solo artist to top the New Zealand charts, and her first record Safety in Numbers netted her an Aria award in 1991 for best breakthrough artist.
That same year, her vocals were featured on Daryl Braithwaite’s megahit The Horses, which spent 12 weeks in the Australian top 10.
She is remembered by her cousin, fellow musician Peter Urlich, as a trailblazer.
“She had a level of sophistication that marked her out,” he said. “Marg was super stylish, she oozed confidence but underneath, she was a female who had to overcome her shyness to try to make it in a male-dominated industry. And she did.”
