NZ Music Icon Margaret Urlich Has Passed Away, Aged 57

The music world joins New Zealand today in mourning the death of singer Margaret Urlich. One of New Zealand's most iconic musicians, Urlich passed away yesterday, at age 57, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Urlich leaves behind a storied musical legacy, the product of a decorated career branching across music and musical theatre. 

Audiences first gravitated towards Urlich due to her work with the New Zealand new wave band Peking Man. As co-lead vocalist for the group, Urlich played an important role in their 1985 NZ number one single, Room That Echoes. Urlich also had moderate success with the NZ girl group When The Cat's Away, notching up another NZ number one with Melting Pot.  

After moving to Sydney in 1987, Urlich built on the foundation of her earlier work upon the release of her 1989 album Safety In Numbers, which saw the world fall in love with her music. The album reached number five in Australia, notching up triple platinum status, thanks to the hits  Escaping and Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night).

Urlich found further success with the follow-up Chameleon Dreams which features the beloved single Boy In The Moon. Urlich is also known for being the female vocal accompaniment on Darryl Braithewaite's megahit The Horses. Ulrich's career continued to blossom in the 90s seeing her branch over to the musical theatre space, playing the role of Mary Magdalene in an acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Urlich followed the performance with two additional full-length records, 1995's Deepest Blue and 1999's Second Nature. Urlichhad been living a quieter life in the NSW Southern Highlands since 1998

Urlich's family released a statement on her death, paying tribute to her musical legacy and to her courageous fight against the disease that ultimately took her life. 

"It is with incredible sadness that we inform you that Margaret Urlich passed away peacefully on 22nd August 2022 at her home in the Southern Highlands of NSW, surrounded by her family after a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer."

"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. We thank you for respecting the privacy of her family and loved ones at this sad time."