Vivienne McAuliffe
Vivienne Jill McAuliffe (19 July 1948 – 21 October 1998) was an English singer and songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the jazz-rock fusion band Affinity and as a founding member of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre while at the University of Exeter.
History
- In 1968, McAuliffe helped form Principal Edwards Magic Theatre at Exeter. The group blended theatre and rock and was one of the early acts signed to Dandelion Records with John Peel promoting them. She was the lead vocalist. The theatre-rock mix led to tensions, and the group broke up in December 1971.
- The band released two albums during her time: Soundtrack (1969) and The Asmoto Running Band (1971).
- After leaving, she joined Affinity, a band she’d met at Exeter. They developed new material and played live, but they did not release a studio album in their initial run; a collection from 1971–1972 appeared in 2003 after the group had split.
- McAuliffe also sang with various London bands and contributed to albums by other artists, including Gerry Rafferty on City to City and Patrick Moraz on The Story of I and Out in the Sun. She worked with ex-Genesis members, including Phil Collins and Anthony Phillips, on The Geese & the Ghost.
- Later in life, she worked with fashion designer John Galliano and became a senior lecturer at the London College of Fashion.
- She died in October 1998 at the age of 50.
Discography (highlights)
- Principal Edwards Magic Theatre: Soundtrack (1969); The Asmoto Running Band (1971)
- Affinity: 1971–1972 (released 2003)
- Gerry Rafferty: City to City (1978)
- Patrick Moraz: The Story of I (1976); Out in the Sun (1977)
- Anthony Phillips: The Geese & the Ghost (1977)
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 14:28 (CET).