“There was a big discussion and a hurried meeting, and they let me perform, but only because I’d come so far.’’ Thirty-seven other contestants had performed in the hall that day and the backing band, Les Thomas and the Countrymen, had already packed up. A smaller, three-piece band, agreed to back her. “I sang Paper Roses [by Marie Osmond] and Connie Smith’s Once a Day. They did all the judging in the preliminaries back then, and then there was an evening showcase. “And then holy smoke – I won it.’’ Riggir went on to become a household name, releasing her first album in 1980, the same year she was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year, and performing on television shows like