Big Dane
Singer, 22
Hamilton
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Dane describes himself as "not very tall, very oversized
person.
"I don't exercise, I don't eat properly and I study too much," he
laughs. "But I've got a great, big voice!"
His musical icons are Whitney, Mariah & Celine. "Whitney is my
ultimate. My heart broke when she passed."
Dane is a proud Maori of Ngati Porou descent. His father left him,
his brother and sister and mother when he was little. Mum is now
seriously ill, with Dane living at home as her primary
caregiver.
He is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts in screen and media
studies with a view to possibly working behind the scenes in TV in
some capacity.
His previous performance highlight was singing Whitney's 'I will
Always Love You' on TVNZ's Close Up a few years ago. The show
dubbed him New Zealand's answer to Susan Boyle, despite the fact
he's never had a singing lesson in his life.
"I don't normally like to talk myself up but the thing that stuns
people is my ability to sing high," he says.
"Not Mariah high, but high enough!"
