Real name: Hilary Archibald

Effective period / Period of releases: 1968 - 1969

Born: 4 July 1947
Died: 7 September 1991 (aged 44)
Real name: Hilary Mary Archibald
Hilary was born in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. As a youngster she sang in school and church choirs and took piano lessons, but apparently did most playing by ear. After school she would work as a hairdresser and a secretary. She would form a group called The Hi-Flo’s with her friend’s sister Florence Stopford. Florence’s boyfriend at the time was Derrick Dennis of Beat Unit. They performed around the Cape Town area and entered the Folk ’66 competition in Cape Town in 1966 where they came 3rd. After this Florence left the group and Hilary continued performing as a solo artist. Eventually she landed a recording contract with Trutone Records and released ‘Sunglasses’ which (as can be seen below) went to number 1 on the Springbok Charts (2 days after her 21st birthday). She would release 2 albums (‘Sunglasses’ and ‘Candy Floss Shop’). Sadly she would die from bone cancer at the young age of 44.