Although born in Queens, New York, the singer Tata Vega led a peripatetic life as the daughter of an airman working for the United States Air Force. As a result her childhood was spent living in various parts of South America and the southern states of the USA. She began performing professional singing engagements at the age of 14 and by the time she was 18 she had moved to California and secured a performing contract as a member of the West Coast production of the hit musical 'Hair'.
During her time in the cast of 'Hair' she met the singer Dobie Gray and went on to join his group Pollution who were managed at the time by Max Baer Jr., better known as the character Jethro Bodine in the TV series 'The Beverley Hillbillies'. She later joined Earthquire who signed to Motown but after an unsuccessful debut album Motown dropped the band but retained Vega's services as a singer. She went on to have a successful career as a lead backing vocalist working with some of the top names in the music business including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and Madonna. Latterly after recording a brace of gospel albums she joined Elton's John's band as a full-time backing vocalist.
