Katrina and the waves biography

Pop group

Katrina and the Waves made a big splash in 1985 with their international hit single "Walking on Sunshine." Catchy, feel-good pop was the group's forte, and for a brief while in the 1980s they were at the top of their game.

With their first three albums in the early 1980s, the group captured an era of fun and light rock from the 1960s, updated for the 1980s. Lead singer Katerina Leskanich, hailing from Nebraska, served as the group's front woman, although guitarist Kimberley Rew wrote the group's most successful music, including, in addition to "Walking on Sunshine," the band's breakthrough hit, "Going Down to Liverpool." Continuing success proved elusive, however, and after the Capitol record label cut the group loose because of disappointing sales, they struggled to stay together through the 1980s and 1990s.

The group briefly re-emerged from obscurity to win the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, but then disbanded in 1999.

Katrina and the Waves was