Thea Tereese Austin is an American female dance/house singer/songwriter/composer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1991, she sang lead vocal on Snap!’s cross-Atlantic hit “Rhythm Is a Dancer”. Originally, Snap! band member Penny Ford was going to sing lead vocals but could not after she signed to Sony Music as a singer, whereas the rest of Snap! was signed to BMG Music. As she was not signed to Sony as a writer, she wrote “Rhythm Is a Dancer” and had Austin sing it. In an interview with Songfacts, Ford said that Austin was interviewing her for a magazine, and stated that she was a songwriter and asked if Ford could listen to her song. She described the song as “a good song, I can’t remember [its name]. (hums to herself) ‘Do You Believe In The Power of Love.’ Or ‘The Power of Love.’” Ford wanted that song for her self-titled album, and “needed to get rid of her so she didn’t need that song any more”, so she asked her if Austin had a passport and three days later she was sent on a plane to make “Rhythm Is a Dancer”.

Originally, “Rhythm Is a Dancer” was going to be released as the lead single, but after objections from Turbo B, “Colour of Love”, also featuring Austin on lead vocals, was released as the lead single. The song charted at #6 in France and Sweden, #9 in Germany but only #54 in the UK, so the two producers insisted that “Rhythm Is a Dancer” was released next. “Rhythm Is a Dancer” fared much better, charting at #1 in the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy and Germany, and #5 in the US. Austin left Snap! shortly after the release of The Madman’s Return in a hemorrhage of members also involving Turbo B and Ford.

In 1999, Austin teamed with Marc Pomeroy to form Soulsearcher, which had a #8 hit on the UK Singles Chart with “Can’t Get Enough” which drew inspiration from and sampled Gary’s Gang’s “Let’s Lovedance Tonight” and later on that year charted at #20 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. The duo performed at The Prince’s Trust Party in the Park all-star concert in London in 1999. Their second single, “Do It to Me Again”, charted at #32 on the UK Singles Chart (AllMusic’s entry for Soulsearcher states that the song charted at #13) after which Austin and Pomeroy split up.

Austin joined Pusaka and wrote and sung lead vocals for their 2001 hit “You’re the Worst Thing for Me”, which was awarded the Best Underground 12″ Award at Miami’s Winter Music Conference in March 2002 and charted at #34 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #1 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.

Snap!
In the early 1990s, Austin finished a tour in Japan and on returning to Los Angeles began writing for a solo album with the dance music producer Michael Eckart (Stacey Q). She was introduced through a mutual friend to Penny Ford who had just left the group Snap! to pursue a solo career after the success of “The Power”. In Germany, she met the producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The result of that meeting was the Snap! album, The Madman’s Return, on which she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs including Snap!’s cross-Atlantic hit “Rhythm Is a Dancer”.[3] She received the BMI Pop Award in 2015[4] when Jeremih’s hit “Don’t ‘Tell ‘Em” incorporated her lyrics.

Originally, “Rhythm Is a Dancer” was going to be released as the lead single, but after objections from Turbo B, “Colour of Love”, also co-written by Austin and with Austin’s lead vocals, was released as the single. The song charted at number 6 in France and Sweden, number 9 in Germany and number 54 in the UK. “Rhythm Is a Dancer” fared better, charting at number 1 in the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy and Germany, and at number 5 in the US. Other singles from the album co-written by Austin included “Do You See The Light” which was later covered by Nikki Harris.

Cutoff feat. Thea Austin
In 1993 Thea met the German Producer Tom Copperfield (Thomas Althen) in Koblenz. She wrote the Lyrics for a Project named “Cutoff”. Together with Rachel Steel, B.O.Y. and VIC was a recorded Album – Don’t Stop. For the first Single ( DON’T STOP) was a Video recorded in Chaplin Studios L.A. The Single “Move” entered many European Top 10 Charts, other Singles followed .

Soulsearcher
In 1999, Austin teamed up with Marc Pomeroy to form Soulsearcher,[1] which had a No. 8 hit on the UK Singles Chart with “Can’t Get Enough”[5] which drew inspiration from and sampled Gary’s Gang’s “Let’s Lovedance Tonight” and later on that year charted at No. 20 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.[5][6] The duo performed at The Prince’s Trust Party in the Park all-star concert in London in 1999.[1] Their second single, “Do It to Me Again”, charted at No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart[5] (The AllMusic entry for Soulsearcher states that the song charted at No. 13[1]) after which they split up.

Pusaka
Austin joined Pusaka and wrote and sung lead vocals for their 2001 hit, “You’re the Worst Thing for Me”, which was awarded the Best Underground 12″ Award at the Winter Music Conference in Miami in March 2002[7] and charted at #34 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart and #1 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.[8]

Boombox!
A May 2022 concert residency at the Westgate Las Vegas titled “Boombox!” had an alternating cast of hip hop artists, including Austin, accompanied by a live DJ and drummer.[9]

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