Lady Killers Tina 'MY SECRET HEARING BATTLE'

The singer has never made a song and dance of her debilitating ear issues

- Rebekah Hebenton

There was a time Tina Cross could step on stage and lose herself in the music — every note, every harmony effortlessly falling into place.

But behind the curtain, the celebrated singer grappled silently with something that threatened to steal her greatest joy: her hearing.

Since childhood, she has battled chronic ear infections and abscesses, which left permanent damage to both eardrums. Over the years, her hearing slowly deteriorated, causing her to question her gift.

“For a long time, it took all the enjoyment away,” admits Tina. “My norm is that I sing in tune, but I was second guessing myself. You only need one person to look at you funny while you're on stage to think, ‘Oh, God, did I just sing something really bad?’”

As a child, any time Tina swam, she developed abscesses on her ear drums, which eventually burst and left her with a small hole in each. She was supposed to have grommets inserted when she was 13, but in the process of the family moving from Kaitaia to Auckland, the appointment was lost in the mail.