Blue Smoke - Pixie Williams

NOW AVAILABLE- THE PIXIE WILLIAMS COLLECTION, Released on 12 July 2011 (Pixie Williams' 83rd birthday) is this unique collection of digitally remastered tracks, originally recorded between 1949-1951.
Pixie Williams also known as Pixie Costello (12 July 1928 -- 2 August 2013) was a New Zealand singer. She is known for the song Blue Smoke which she recorded in 1949, and which was #1 on the New Zealand charts for six weeks.
"Blue Smoke" was the first single to be locally recorded and manufactured in New Zealand, backed by the song "Señorita", and was also the first release on the local TANZA label. The A-side was written by Ruru Karaitiana whilst he was on board a troop ship during World War II, and was recorded in September and October 1948 for release in February the following year by the Ruru Karaitiana Quintette (sic) with Williams on vocals. It was number one on the New Zealand charts for six weeks and sold around 50,000 copies.
A self-taught singer, Williams had been suggested to Karaitiana by his fiancée Joan, who had sung with her whilst staying at a girls' hostel in Wellington. She was to go on to sing on several more recordings during 1949 and 1950: "Bellbird Serenade" (backed by Jimmy Carter's Hawaiians), "Maori Rhythm" (backed by Alan Shand's Orchestra), and "Saddle Hill", as part of Ruru Karaitiana's Quavertones. The Quavertones were also credited with the further singles "Let's Talk it Over" and "Windy City".
In 2011, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand recognised Williams with a Triple Platinum Award for "Blue Smoke" and Single Platinum Award for the song "Let's Talk it Over".
Williams died at a rest home and hospital in Upper Hutt on 2 August 2013. She had been suffering from dementia, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.