Hazel was born in Coventry, England and spent her youth travelling across Europe and beyond. Her early adventures and the challenges of growing up in a working-class environment shaped a restless, independent spirit that would later fuel her songwriting and creative journey.

Her experiences inspired many of her songs, and she often shares their stories during her live performances.

Inspired by her older brother Neil O’Connor (guitarist of the Flys) and the punk movement, Hazel began songwriting and singing. Her first single, recorded in 1979 with The Fruit Eating Bears and produced by Vic Maile, was later included on the 2017 Cover Plus: Expanded Edition CD. First version of Decadent Days was also recorded. See video...

Hazel starred in Brian Gibson's movie "Breaking Glass," playing Kate, a punk singer in London's music scene. She also composed and performed the entire soundtrack. The film follows Kate's rise from pub gigs to stardom and the industry's darker side, with Phil Daniels as her manager Danny and Jonathan Pryce as the band's saxophonist.

The soundtrack hit number 5 in the UK charts and went Gold, with "Eighth Day" and "Will You" both reaching the Top 10. ...More about the sountrack album...

Hazel toured extensively to promote the album and the film; on the UK tour she famously gave early exposure to a then‑unknown Duran Duran as her support act.

Only months after Breaking Glass, Hazel issued her studio album Sons and Lovers (producer: Nigel Gray).

The album contains the Top‑10 single “D‑Days” and represents Hazel’s deliberate attempt to separate her own artistic identity from the film character.

...More about the album...

Released in 1981 and produced by Tony Visconti, "Cover Plus" mixed autobiographical originals with selected cover versions. The album reached number 32 on the UK charts and featured interpretations of songs by The Stranglers, Lou Reed, and Jim Webb alongside Hazel's own compositions.

Singles included the title track "(Cover Plus) We're All Grown Up" and a cover of The Stranglers' "Hanging Around."

...More about the album...

Hazel stared in a seven-episode ITV miniseries set in a London nightclub.

'Jangles' combined music, dance, and drama, depicting the early-80s British club scene and showcasing live performances. See a video...

Billy Currie, the musician and songwriter of Ultravox, recorded solo material in 1982, including the track “Memories Don’t Go,” which features vocals by Hazel.

These recordings were later released in 2000 as the album Keys and the Fiddle, a collection of previously unreleased works.

Listen to the song on Youtube...

Hazel played Candy Starr in the 1982 production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, running from September 16th to October 9th. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel follows a rebellious patient who challenges the authoritarian Nurse Ratched at a mental institution. The production was directed by Gregory Hersov with music by Colin Goddard.

Hazel appeared in Bob Mason's play "Nightshoot" at London's Tricycle Theatre, running from December 1983 through January 1984. Beyond acting, she wrote the lyrics and co-composed the music with Neil O'Connor and Eddie Case for the production.

Smile, a synth-based pop album, shows a softer, more optimistic and experimental side of Hazel’s songwriting.

Produced by Martin Rushent and Neil O'Connor, it features emotionally driven songs such as Cuts Too Deep.

...More about the album...

She took part in Greenpeace – The Album, a compilation created to support the environmental organisation Greenpeace.

Hazel recorded the duet Push and Shove with Chris Thompson for this project, which featured various artists contributing songs to raise awareness for environmental issues. It was also released as a single

...More about the single...

Hazel O’Connor sang on Why Don’t You Answer, a collaboration with Eberhard Schöner released as a single and on 12″ vinyl.

The song was also featured in the German TV series Derrick (Episode 174: “Blaue Rose”). Listen to the song...

At that time, Hazel received few invitations in the UK, while she had never performed in Eastern Europe, so she set out to change this by collaborating with the Hungarian band KFT and saxophonist Clare Hirst.

This also resulted in the release of a single titled “Stranger in a Strange Land / The Hour Before Dawn.”

Hazel starred in the BBC drama Fighting Back, for which she also sang the theme song.The series is about a single mother who returns to her home town after fifteen years of unhappy marriage and fights to make a better life for herself and her children.

See IMDB page...
See it on Youtube...

In 1986, she had a cameo in the British comedy Car Trouble.

It starred well‑known actors like Julie Walters and Ian Charleson and the film has generally been regarded as a light, coarse farce of its era rather than a standout comedy.

See her scenes...

Hazel appeared in the British TV series Prospects as the singer Bev Reid, featured in the episode “Follow the Yellow Brick Lane,” where her character dreams of becoming a pop star.

See IMDB page...

See video...

Hazel appeared in the West End musical "Girlfriends" at the Playhouse Theatre in October 1987. The show, featuring music and lyrics by Howard Goodall, opened as the debut production when the newly restored Playhouse reopened after years as a BBC studio. A single "And I Dream" was relased with David Easter from the musical.

In 1987, she married American artist Kurt Blippert in a small, highly informal beach ceremony in California that deliberately broke with tradition.

The wedding reflected Hazel's spiritual journey and their shared faith rather than convention, with close friends and neighbours attending the brief ceremony.

Around this time, the bootleg album Alive and Kicking in L.A. surfaced, recorded in the US. Despite the management’s efforts, it was repeatedly re-released under various titles, including L.A. Confidential and D-Days, presenting a style that sat apart from the direction of her official releases before or after.

Hazel wrote and starred in her own original musical "Sing Out Sister," which premiered at Riverside Studios on January 21, 1993. Set in the 1940s, the show followed a former WAC turned singer who joins the Sister Blue Trio to entertain troops after WWII. The production featured Hazel's original compositions alongside classics like "Summertime" and "Stormy Weather." The cast included Martin Braithwaite, Ginny Brown, Bob Colley, Clare Hirst and Sebastian Hausmann.

First studio album after nine years and also Hazel's updated autobiography in German, which tells the story of how she was exploited by the show business. The album marks a fresh start after her divorce and return to Europe. ...More about the album...

Her first official live album was also released, featuring songs from To Be Freed, alongside newly interpreted tracks from Breaking Glass and Cover Plus, as well as Bob Marley and Gershwin covers, with the contribution of the legendary saxophonist Wesley Magoogan.

After Hazel’s return, her former record label chose to take advantage of the renewed interest and released her older material. For fans, this turned out to be good news, as several previously unreleased recordings finally came to light, including a David Bowie cover, early songs, and French-language versions of some tracks.

Released in 1995 and produced by Paul Barrett, "Private Wars" explored mature themes of love, conflict, and solitude. The album was recorded at STS Studios in Dublin's Temple Bar area with engineers who had previously worked with U2. It featured "Conversation from a Barstool," co-written by Bono and The Edge, originally intended for Marianne Faithfull. The album had limited distribution, primarily released in Germany, making it difficult to find. ...More about the album...

'The Stranglers and Friends: Live in Concert' album was also released in 1995, recorded at London's Rainbow Theatre in April 1980 when Hugh Cornwell was in prison for drug possession.

Hazel sang on tracks including "Get a Grip," "Hanging Around," and "No More Heroes" alongside other guest artists like Toyah Willcox, Ian Dury, and Robert Smith.

Listen to the album on Youtube...

Live in Berlin was recorded in March 1996 at the Quasimodo jazz club in Berlin and released a year later by a small independent label. The album features songs like “D-Days,” “Runaway,” “Tell Me Why,” “Will You?”, “Eighth Day and tracks from To Be Freed.”

In 1996, Hazel performed in an innovative concert at Budapest Sports Arena with Hungarian band KFT before 13,000 people. While simple online broadcasts had existed since 1993, this event pioneered real-time synchronized remote participation: she performed live from a Dublin studio in sync with the band in Budapest, while an artist created digital illustrations from Los Angeles, all projected as it happened. The production took 18 months to prepare.

Watch the video on Youtube...

She played Emer, wife of the mythical Irish hero Cuchulain, in Michael Scott's production of W.B. Yeats's "The Cuchulain Cycle" at Dublin's RHA Gallery in 1996, later transferring to London's Riverside Studio. Scott's adaptation combined four of Yeats's five plays about the legendary warrior with original music featuring traditional Irish instruments including harp, fiddle, and bodhrán.

Five in the Morning was recorded with producer and co-writer Gerard Kiely and released in 1997 on Mystic Records with a full band. The album’s ten tracks blend rock and reflective songwriting, recorded in studios in Dublin and Germany.

The Soul Patrol was an online radio drama series created and produced by David Koenigsberg that explores themes of divine justice, heaven, morality and spirituality.

In the story Hazel plays Holly Violet who along with Billi St. Kilda (played by Jo Kennedy), is sent on a heavenly mission to help “make good souls out of bad” in L. A. using powers of Heaven.

...Listen to The Soul Patrol...

Hazel premiered her autobiographical show Beyond the Breaking Glass at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1998; the show combined music, storytelling and visuals, after the tour she released an album with harpist Cormac de Barra.

A documentary was also released with the same title.

...See album details and watch the documentary..

Hazel recorded "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" for the compilation album "Diamond Gods: Interpretations of Bowie," released by Invisible Hands Music with various artists covering David Bowie classics (Blondie, Nico, Icehouse etc.)

Hazel contributed the track "Oíche Mhaith (Good Night)" to the compilation album "Celtic Woman 2," released in April 2000. The album featured Irish and Celtic-influenced female singers and songwriters including Maire Brennan of Clannad, Rita Connolly, and Caroline Lavelle. The song was also released as a single.

Following the Celtic-influenced "Beyond the Breaking Glass," Hazel released another acoustic album titled "Acoustically Yours" in 2002 on Invisible Hands Music, recorded live at Quasimodo in Berlin by Michael Koening. The album features Cormac De Barra on Irish harp and backing vocals, Cliodhna Quinlan on fiddle and backing vocals, and Mario N'Goma on percussion.

In a shift from acoustic performances, Hazel collaborated with electronic project X-ert on "Ignite" in 2002, a fully electronic album featuring tracks like "Find Me," "Celtic Fire," and "Shadowcast." The collaboration blended her distinctive vocals with synthesized soundscapes and electronic beats across eleven tracks including the bonus "Memory Fades Slow (Blu Peter Mix).

Invisible Hands Music assembled A Singular Collection, a best-of compilation that reintroduced her classic songs and rare tracks, and included a newly recorded cover of George Michael’s “One More Try.”

...See video...

In 2004, Hazel toured the UK with the band The Subterraneans, including a performance at Glastonbury that year. The tour's final stop was Brighton's Concorde 2, and this show was recorded and released on both album and DVD, with the DVD also featuring an exclusive interview.

...See video...

Hidden Heart was released in 2005 on Invisible Hands Music, produced by Martin Rushent and engineered by Fionan de Barra. The album features collaborations with Moya Brennan, Rob Reynolds and Cormac de Barra. It was recorded at Hazel's Front Room and Martin Rushent's Front Room RA, and Hazel stated the inspiration came from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince," particularly the fox's message that "we can only see what is true with our hearts.

Hazel played the villainous Queen Nastina, the "killer queen" in the 2006-2007 production of "Sleeping Beauty" at Liberty Hall in Dublin.

The Irish Times noted she brought "great force and wicked glee" to the role, describing her performance as "a cross, middle-aged punk" - perfectly suited to her rock persona.

Hazel O'Connor joined the '1980s Here and Now' tour alongside other artists such as Kim Wilde and Rick Astley from the decade, performing at venues across the UK.

Coventry also honoured her this year with a star on the city's Walk of Fame in Priory Place, recognising her contribution to British music and culture.

The Walk of Fame is located in Priory Place, opposite the BBC studios in the city centre.

Hazel teamed up with saxophonist Clare Hirst and pianist Sarah Fisher to form a jazz vocal trio, releasing their debut album in August, 2010. The album mixed their own compositions with jazz classics and modern songs, creating a sophisticated three-part harmony sound. They took the project on the road, including performances in France that September.

Released for the 30th anniversary and produced by Roger Lomas, the Breaking Glass Now album reimagined Hazel's iconic 1980 soundtrack with The Subterraneans and Clare Hirst on saxophone. The collaboration brought fresh energy and arrangements to the original songs, allowing her to reinterpret these politically charged tracks in a contemporary style and rediscover their power three decades later. The album also included the stunning "World Stops Spinning Without You," a new track that wasn't part of the original 1980 soundtrack.

Hazel wrote this charity single for her mother Joyce, who was in hospice care at the time. The December 2010 release featured multiple artists including Toyah Willcox, Pauline Black, and Ranking Roger, each contributing their own version of the song. It climbed to number 27 on the UK charts, with all money raised going to Myton Hospice and Help The Hospices.

The second album from the trio of Hazel O'Connor, Clare Hirst, and Sarah Fisher. The album featured four original songs written by the three of them, including the moving title track which expressed the warmth and love Hazel felt for her hospice-bound dying mother. The addition of double bass, drums, and percussion gave the trio freedom to experiment with different grooves, particularly effective on their latin-rhythm take of Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes."

"Here She Comes" was the third album from Hazel, Clare Hirst, and Sarah Fisher. By this point, the trio had spent five years performing together across the UK and Europe, and their tight musical connection showed in the album's vocal harmonies. The tracklist mixed original compositions with interpretations of classics like Lou Reed's "Perfect Day," Billie Holiday's "Good Morning Heartache," and Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas.

Collaboration with Irish harpist Cormac De Barra. The album was recorded at Moya Brennan's Mo Studios. The eleven tracks blended revisited classics like "Wakey Wakey" with new material, all arranged around De Barra's Celtic harp, bodhrán, and vocals alongside Hazel's distinctive voice. The album was released to coincide with their performance at Dublin's Temple Bar TradFest.

"Hallelujah Moments" brought together Irish guest vocalists including Moya Brennan, Brian Kennedy, Jack Lukeman, Mundy, and Liam Ó Maonlaí. Recorded at Studio 81 in County Wicklow with Clare Hirst, Sarah Fisher, and Cormac De Barra, the album blended new material with reimagined classics, celebrating personal breakthrough moments throughout Hazel's life.

In a small but memorable role in the 2019 film "Baghdad in My Shadow," Hazel appeared as a café performer under the name Kate Forever, a playful nod to her Breaking Glass character. She performed an Arabic-inflected version "Wakey Wakey" onstage at Café Abu Nawas in London, bringing a touch of her punk past to this drama about Iraqi exiles dealing with themes of identity, freedom, and radicalization.

See her scene on YouTube..

Shot years before its eventual 2025 release, "Hound" features Hazel as Lady Poverty in this biographical film chronicling the life of Victorian poet Francis Thompson. The project began as a stage play in 2012, later touring London churches before being adapted into a feature film.

The movie explores Thompson's struggles with homelessness, opium addiction, and spiritual crisis, with Hazel appearing alongside Gary Shail and Wayne Sleep in Chris Ward's production.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Hazel launched her "Live Lounge" series, offering free Facebook livestream concerts from her home to help ease people's isolation during the pandemic. These intimate shows featured acoustic performances and viewer-requested songs.

The sessions were compiled into an album released in November 2020, capturing the stripped-down connection with fans during those difficult months.

Folk-punk band Ferocious Dog recruited Hazel for their 2021 cover of "Will You," featured on their album "The Hope."

The original saxophone solo was replaced with a haunting violin part by Dan Booth, transforming the 1980 classic into a duet between Hazel and frontman Ken Bonsall. The collaboration meant a lot to Bonsall, who'd fallen in love with the song watching Top of the Pops as a kid, and the two became close friends through working together.

See the video on YouTube..

In January 2022, Hazel suffered a brain hemorrhage at her home in southwest France. Found unresponsive by friends who broke down her door, she was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma for 24 hours. The road back has been long, requiring extensive physiotherapy and daily care, but she's making steady progress. She remains deeply grateful for the unwavering support from fans worldwide throughout her recovery.

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