The online South African Rock Encyclopedia covers the history of South African rock music from the 1950s up to the early 2000s. All this information is made freely available to the public.
Home > Rock Legends > 1980s > P.J. Powers & Hotline
Hotline
Hotline
Long before P.J. Powers, who was born Penelope Jane Dunlop in Durban on the 16 July 1960, became Thandeka ("the loved one") or achieved a UK chart hit with 'World In Union' (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) in 1995, she was the lead singer for top South African rock band Hotline, who formed in Johannesburg in 1980. P.J. Powers came from an all-girl group from Durban called Pantha.
Pantha was formed in 1979. We had a fairly good run but being an all girl group in the shadow of Clout, we never managed to secure a record deal. P.J. Powers was the fronting singer then known as Penelope Jane Dunlop.
Debbi Lonmon (Little Sister), July 1999
The band changed their style to Afro-rock in 1983 and went onto even bigger things, like overseas tours. Hotline disbanded in 1987 and a greatest hits album was released in 1988.
Read more about P.J. Powers at Wikipedia.
P.J. Powers and Brian Currin at KFM, September 2013