Katrina Leskanich, an American musician, was born on April 10, 1960, in Topeka, Kansas, USA. She is best known as the former lead singer of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band, Katrina and the Waves.

Growing up in a large Air Force family, Katrina moved frequently, eventually settling in England in 1976, where she formed the band Mama’s Cookin’. In 1983, she joined The Waves, and the group rebranded as Katrina and The Waves, performing at various venues throughout England, including Dingwalls, the Hope and Anchor, and the Marquee.

Their significant breakthrough came in 1984 when The Bangles covered their song "Going Down to Liverpool," leading to a signing with Capitol Records. The band's self-titled debut album, released in 1985, achieved both critical and commercial success, notably featuring the worldwide hit "Walking on Sunshine," which reached the top ten in several countries: No. 8 in the UK, No. 9 in the US, No. 3 in Canada, and No. 4 in Australia. The single garnered a Grammy nomination and has since amassed over 1 billion streams on Spotify, where Katrina and the Waves average 6 million monthly listeners.

"Walking on Sunshine" has been featured in multiple films, including: - Ask Max (1986), a Disney movie - Secret of My Success (1987), starring Michael J. Fox - Look Who’s Talking (1989), where John Travolta dances to it - High Fidelity (2000), with a memorable dance by Jack Black - American Psycho (2000), used to soften a dark scene involving Christian Bale - Daddy Day Care (2003), in the film’s opening sequence - Walking on Sunshine (2014), a musical featuring upbeat 80s songs performed by Leona Lewis.

The band's covers include: - The Bangles' "Going Down to Liverpool" (1984) - Dolly Parton’s version of "Walking on Sunshine" on her Treasures album (1996) - Celine Dion's "That’s Just The Woman in Me" (2008) - A Glee cast mash-up of "Walking on Sunshine" and Beyoncé’s "Halo" (2010) - Recent features of "Walking on Sunshine" on American Idol, X Factor, and The Voice.

Following their initial success, Katrina and The Waves released "Do You Want Crying," which became a top 40 hit in the US, and "Sun Street," a UK Top 30 hit in 1986. In 1989, they recorded a more rock-oriented album, Break of Hearts, for Capitol’s subsidiary SBK Records, which included "That’s the Way," reaching No. 16 on the US charts. The band toured globally with notable artists such as Wham, The Beach Boys, Don Henley, Pointer Sisters, Chaka Khan, The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Coolio, and Run DMC. Their string of hits continued with "Que Te Quiero" in 1985, "Sun Street" in 1986, and "That’s The Way" in 1989, highlighted by performances at iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, The Mall in Washington, D.C., the Marquee Club, and CBGBs, where Katrina performed alongside Joey Ramone.

In 1997, Katrina and the Waves achieved significant recognition by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with "Love Shine a Light," securing the victory by the largest margin in the contest’s history. This led to four consecutive appearances on Top of the Pops and a No. 3 position in the UK charts. However, the following year, the band disbanded, and Katrina transitioned to a career in radio and television. She served as a presenter on BBC1's Watchdog and later hosted a three-hour show on BBC Radio 2 for a year and a half. She also ventured into musical theatre, performing as songwriter Ellie Greenwich in Leader of the Pack, showcasing songs that had influenced her early career.

In 2001, Katrina embarked on a solo career, performing across the UK and Europe while continuing to write and record music. Her debut solo album, Katrina Leskanich, was released in 2005, featuring collaborations with Phil Thornalley and an acoustic cover of Kirsty MacColl’s "They Don’t Know." In 2006, she formed a new band, debuted at The Borderline in London, and in 2007, covered "Hitsville UK" for The Sandinista! Project, a tribute to The Clash. She toured Australia on the Countdown Spectacular tour and Norway with Gylne Tider, with her single "They Don’t Know" included on the Gylne Tider 2 album, which achieved platinum status. The following year, she released a dance version of "They Don’t Know," which became a UK club hit.

Katrina celebrated the 25th anniversary of "Walking on Sunshine" in 2010 with a new live album, while the Glee Cast achieved a UK Top 10 hit with their mash-up of "Halo" and "Walking on Sunshine." In May 2011, she released the EP Spiritualize. In 2013, she published her first book, Peggy Lee Loves London: My London Guide, part of a new city tour guide series. The following year, she participated in the Retro Futura Tour across North America with fellow 80s artists, including Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins, Howard Jones, and Midge Ure. In 2014, she released her first studio album in a decade, Blisland, and continued to tour, including trips to South Africa and North America.

In 2016, Katrina appeared on the BBC’s "Eurovision: You Decide," and toured Australia on the "Totally 80s" Tour and Sweden during the summer. She joined the 2017 Retro Futura Tour in the USA alongside artists like Howard Jones, Paul Young, and The English Beat, while also releasing a compilation album, The Very Best of Katrina. In 2018, she released a Christmas single, "I Can’t Give You Anything but Love."

In 2020, Katrina released two new singles, "Drive" and "I Want to Love Again," followed by her album, Hearts, Loves & Babys (KATSWEB). In 2022, she celebrated the 25th anniversary of "Love Shine A Light" winning Eurovision with the release of the single "Holiday." In 2023, she released "Shut Your Mouth," served as a guest artist on The Beach Boys' Caribbean cruise, performed at the Grand Final party in Eurovision Village during the contest in Liverpool, and toured Sweden with "The Greatest 80s" tour in November and December.

In 2024, she released "I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love," which topped the Heritage Chart for two weeks, followed by a re-release of her Christmas single, achieving a No. 2 ranking in the Heritage Chart. In June 2025, she published "Peggy Lee Loves Cornwall," a dog-friendly guide to Cornwall, and released a new single, "Honey Lamb," in October.