Regina, who majored in theater at
Marymount Manhattan College, began her music career in the late 1970s, recording and performing with the
new wave band Regina Richards and Red Hot. The band regularly played New York City music venues such as
CBGB,
Max's Kansas City, and
Irving Plaza. With the help of
Richard Gottehrer, the band signed with
A&M Records. The first single released was titled "Tyger", with "Tug of War" as the B-side. The second single "Don't Want You Back", with "Company Girl" as the B-side, was followed by a self-titled album; the records did not attain mainstream success. Subsequently, she dissolved the group and focused on writing songs for other artists and helping them record demos with
Stephen Bray, her former Red Hot drummer. Her record label, Atlantic Records, however, requested that Regina sing the song herself. In 1987, she appeared in an anti-drug public service announcement with
McGruff the Crime Dog that aired well into the 1990s. In 1988, Regina released the song "Extraordinary Love". It reached #11 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 1990, no longer with Atlantic, she released her final single "Track You Down". Plans to release an album titled
Best Kept Secret the same year were shelved indefinitely. In 1991, Australian singer
Dannii Minogue released a cover of "Baby Love" as a single, reaching number 14 on the
UK Singles Chart. == Discography ==