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Thomas Anders: "It was infuriating when they talked about our sexual orientation"

Thomas Anders: "It was infuriating when they talked about our sexual orientation"

His first visit to Moscow was a real natural disaster for the police. People spent the night on the steps of the Olimpiysky, and during the day they maimed each other in a monstrous crush at the box office. Walls sports complex were literally dotted with declarations of love for Thomas. They were washed away, but the next day the fans painted the gray building with charcoal again...

Almost 30 years have passed since then. Passions for Thomas have long subsided, and the regular visits of the former idol remain almost unnoticed. And yet, the concerts of disco stars still gather full houses. Especially when he is announced as the headliner - Thomas Anders.

"EVERYONE HAD OWN PERSONAL LIFE"

- Thomas, you come to Moscow almost every year. What does this constancy mean?

I just love coming to you. I am very glad that fans in Russia remain faithful to me to this day. And for the first time I visited Russia back in October 1987. Since then, of course, much has changed in your country. And for the better.

Do you remember the first visit to Moscow. And how did it all start? When did the boy's musical abilities, whose name was not yet Thomas Anders, but Bernd Weidung, come to light?

Yes, sure. I was five years old when my mother gave me my first guitar for Christmas. I did not let her go for a minute, even at night I put her near my bed. And in the morning he would sit down in front of everyone, strike the strings with his fingers, and shout for the whole house. Mom no longer knew what to do with herself, plugged her ears - she probably regretted that she had given me such a gift. But my uncle, the burgomaster of the neighboring region, was only touched by such a sight. And he decided to engage me. At the grand opening of the Silver Gala, I sang... for four hours in a row! This is how my first performance took place.

Then I began to take part in competitions for young talents. At one of these - the Radio Luxembourg competition - he met his first producer. We recorded three singles, I did a TV show. Then there was a big tour of Germany. My God, how excited I was when I first stepped on the professional stage in front of thousands of people at Tommy Tip Rock Show! Probably, I would never have been able to overcome my shyness if someone hadn’t given me one stupid piece of advice: “Just imagine that the whole audience… is in underpants.” You know, oddly enough, it helped. Well, then the era of "Modern Talking" began, and other people's advice was already useless to me.

- "Modern Talking" broke up in 1987, 11 years later suddenly resurrected, and in 2003 just as suddenly ceased to exist again. Why?

Oh, Dieter Bohlen and I are so different people! In creativity, they really achieved success, but everyone had their own personal life. Let's work out the concert - and scatter in different directions. When I started my solo career, I immediately felt much better.

You know, and many were sure that you and Dieter... How to put it mildly... non-traditional sexual orientation. How did you react to those rumors?

Yes, a lot of people thought that about me. Because I'm not very tall, I'm not too strong, I dressed extravagantly, and I also liked to wear jewelry. I hate it when people say that, but it doesn't hurt my feelings of dignity. Let them talk! Gossip and rumors are the inevitable costs of our profession.

- But then you cut your hair, began to dress discreetly, removed jewelry ...

Just one fine morning, I realized that this image is no longer for me. I have changed not only externally, but also internally.

“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SHY WITH GIRLS”

- Thomas, did you have what is called star disease?

In my opinion, narcissism is an unenviable disease. I am the same person as everyone else. Starlight is not for me! Over the years, I developed the principles of the "theory of positive thinking", which now guide me. They are simple.

Trust God - he is wiser than us and knows what he is doing. Do not think that you have been forgotten and there is no place for you in this life - God helps both the weak and the strong, he cares for the unfortunate, but loves more those who know how to enjoy life. Know how to hear and recognize the signs of fate. If you are haunted by failures today, if you have fallen into a black streak, you should understand that this is a test, a warning, a test of strength. And if you have learned a lesson, then a white streak will surely follow.

So you create around yourself a bright aura that protects you from evil people, decadent thoughts, misfortunes. Sometimes things in life don't turn out the way we want them to. We feel this is unfair. But from each, it would seem, the most negative situation, we can take something positive for ourselves.

- Thomas, is it true that your first love was unhappy?

Not really... You know, my favorite toy as a child was a Barbie doll with long golden hair. I dreamed of falling in love with the same girl. And when I turned 18, my dream materialized.

Her name was Stephanie and she was 21 years old. I was invited to a party in my hometown of Koblenz as a singer and pianist. Stephie first saw me in my father's big car. And then she heard me sing. A few weeks later we met at a disco in Bonn. I invited her to ride around the capital, then we went out to the city park. I loved walking hand in hand with her. It seemed uncomfortable to Stephy - she was much taller than me. But I took her hand so tightly that she had to submit.

Although I've always been shy around girls. Never said "I love you!" But he always wrote about it in letters and on records. Well, my "doll" Stefi then met an older and more experienced man, and we broke up.

"NORA FORBIDDEN ME TO HAIR"

“However, you didn’t suffer for long. After all, Nora soon appeared in your life, more precisely, Eleanor, and more precisely, Isabelle Balling. And you all started so beautifully...

Nora became my wife when I was 21 and she was 20. The wedding was magnificent. When we left the church, we met a whole crowd of people in the street with dozens of small dogs of our favorite Yorkshire terrier breed, each of which had white bows tied around their fur.

As we drove to the restaurant, the song You re My Heart was playing throughout the neighborhood. And we spent our wedding night at the Solnechnaya Alley Hotel, on Pig Mountain. All night we put flowers in vases and sorted out gifts: a machine that makes a kilogram of ice cream in 20 minutes, rings with the Balling family seal, a golden treble clef, silver champagne glasses ...

When we went on a honeymoon trip to the Canary Islands, Nora took with her 18 pairs of shoes and a myriad of clothes to wear new every day. We dragged with us nine suitcases and two dogs: Mickey and Daisy. Early in the morning we wandered along the deserted beach, and in the evening we drank cocktails in the bar. At night, I had to wrap the phone in a towel, as the device rang every minute. This is how my fans enjoyed themselves. In the daytime, they had to flee from them.

Nora is a very beautiful woman. You probably also had a lot of rivals?

My main "rival" was the subject who won his right ... to sleep in our bed. Nero the cat always dozed on the satin bedspread. We even jokingly called him "beloved and desired friend in bed."

There are different stories about your relationship with Nora. Many years have passed since your divorce. What can you say about your first wife now?

What can I say ... I was impressed by her business qualities, her ability to hit the table with her fist at the right moment. It seemed to me that we perfectly complement each other, that together we are a force. Now I prefer a few other qualities in a woman - such as calmness, restraint, diplomacy.

Nora is really beautiful, but very capricious. For example, she always said that I had amazingly beautiful hair, and in no case would she allow me to cut it. Once we lived in a hotel in Munich. Nora forgot her shampoo at home and ordered it over the phone.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. My wife stayed in the bathroom, and I quickly put on a dressing gown and opened the door for the concierge. The guy apologized for a long time that they do not have the shampoo that we ordered. At the same time, for some reason, he always called me ... "Frau Anders"! In the end, I got tired of it, and I ... opened the robe. Under which, of course, there was nothing. The concierge, the poor fellow, could only say, "Oh God!"

"With CLAUDIA I AM EASY AND RELIABLE"

- Why did you break up with Nora?

She was very tenacious and jealous. I just got tired of it. We got married at the end of 1984, and a month later "Modern Talking" came out on top in all charts. In Nora's imagination, show business looked like this: everyone was having fun with "easy" girls and bathing in champagne.

Nora decided that women would be safe for her only if she herself would drive them away from me. When on one TV show, our performance was supposed to be announced by a charming girl, my wife even tried to forbid me to go on stage ...

After parting with Nora, I often fell in love. True, most often women reacted like this: “With him? Never! He could have any!"

Your personal life has developed in a very original way. You had millions of fans in all countries of the world, and you met your current wife Claudia in your hometown of Koblenz. How did it happen?

We met by chance. Although the truth is said that all accidents are natural. Once I went to a cafe with friends and saw a pretty girl there. She had such a sad look that I wanted to cheer her up. I went up to her and asked: “Hi, where are you from?” It turned out that Claudia lives in my hometown.

We started talking. Then she didn’t even show that she knew me. That's just what I liked. A modest girl, a linguist by profession, worked in a computer company. I was glad that Claudia had nothing to do with the artistic environment. Soon we got married (the wedding was arranged in an old castle), Claudia quit her job and began to take care of my business. We went on tour together until our son was born...

Of course, I'm happy when I'm on stage. But the most joyful moments in life are those that I spend with my family. After all, by nature I am a home person. In the evenings, we sit in the living room by the fireplace, parsing fan letters, reading them. This is the kind of idyll I dreamed of. With Claudia, I feel safe and secure.

- Thomas, can you call yourself lucky?

Judge for yourself. I have experienced many disasters and one severe accident in 1983, when my first wife's parents died. In all the alterations, I remained safe and sound. Everyone knows the story of the Titanic: one person couldn't buy a ticket because they were already sold out. In such a situation, I would reconcile myself and say: “No luck!” But he acted differently - he bought a ticket from one passenger for a lot of money. And with this "happy" ticket drowned.

- Prefer a quiet haven? Is not boring?

On the stage, I can’t surpass myself anymore. This I understand perfectly. Maybe there are still “storms” waiting for me, but only in some other area ...

Thomas Anders (Bernd Weidung) is a famous German pop singer, composer and actor. He gained immense popularity when he was the soloist of the now cult group Modern Talking. As part of his solo career, he released 11 albums, one of which, "Strong", was awarded platinum status. The singer performed over fifty singles, many of which turned out to be a significant event in the musical life of the planet. Anders has played several film roles and composed a number of popular soundtracks.

Biography

Thomas Anders was born on March 1, 1963 in the German town of Münstermaifeld. WITH early childhood he became interested in music and for a long time sang in the choir at the church. In parallel with this, the boy mastered the piano and learned to play the guitar. Even then, Berndt was sure that a professional career awaited him and he would perform on stage. However, the parents saw their son in a completely different role and dreamed that he would become a builder. Therefore, the father often forced the offspring to help in the construction of a house being built for his older brother. Internally protesting against such violence, the future pop star came in a suit, tie and drove wheelbarrows with cement in this form.

Already in adolescence, Berndt stood out from his peers with his ability to dress stylishly and play with Barbie dolls. It was with a girl of this type that the young musician fell in love. The first serious success came to him in 1980, when he won the M. Shants show and the single "Judy" was released. After that, the young man was advised to come up with a pseudonym, and without hesitation, he chose the first name of the telephone directory - Anders, and the name Thomas was taken as the most international, pronounced the same in different languages.

In 1983, fate brings the singer to Dieter Bohlen, after which they decided to try to work as a duet. Their joint song "Wovon Traumst Du Denn" received a good rating from the audience, becoming the 16th in the national hit parade. Soon the Modern Talking group was created, whose hit "Youre My Heart, Youre My Soul" did not leave the top of European music ratings for about a year and a half. In the wake of wide popularity, 6 albums were recorded, which sold a total circulation of more than 42 million copies.

In 1987, the joint project ceased to exist, and Thomas Anders set off on an independent voyage. He began touring the countries of the Old World, after which he began recording his own album "Different", with the help of Mark Cassandra, known for his work with Elton John. He went on sale in 1989, but did not receive much recognition. Perhaps because Anders moved away from the usual style, defining the genre of his product as high-guality-pop.

In the future, Thomas Anders did not give up and continued to actively create musical material, collaborating with many well-known producers and record companies. Several albums and soundtracks for films were released, in one of which (“Stockholm Marathon”) the musician even played personally. Giving all his strength to the field of creativity, during the recording of the album "Souled" Anders even fainted.

The second half of the 90s was marked by Anders' participation in several dance projects and passion for jazz, which resulted in the appearance of an album and a jazz concert with the participation of L. Thornton's jazz band. In 1998, there was an unexpected revival of the almost forgotten Modern Talking. Together with Dieter Bohlen, they released several remixes and covered a number of past hits, but they did not gain their former glory. After 5 years, the duo broke up, but this did not affect the career of Anders, who by that time had rich experience in creative interaction with No Angels, T-Seven and many other musicians.

Then Thomas Anders continued solo performances in Europe and the USA, released the successful album "This time" (2004) and recorded an acoustic version with the Warsaw Orchestra (2006). Having actively worked in the New World, the singer turns his eyes to Russia, having created the album “Strong” especially for the domestic listener, the songs for which were written by composer S. Revyakin. In support of the album, a large-scale tour was organized in 20 cities of the country. In 2014, Anders will be awarded a platinum award for his record sales.

In 2011-2012, Thomas collaborated with compatriot Uwe Fahrenkrog, releasing a new album "Two" in a duet with him. Uwe also wrote the song "No ordinary love", which Thomas sang together with Ukrainian vocalist Kamaliya. A year later, he performed the single "We Are One" with Iranian singer Omid.

In 2015, Thomas Anders gave two successful concerts in the USA - in Los Angeles and New York. In 2016, the singer released another studio album "History", in the same year Anders performed at the Moscow Crocus City Hall.

And in 2017, the singer released the album "Pures Leben", consisting of new songs recorded on German. For Anders' fans, as well as for the artist himself, the release was an event, because until that moment Thomas Anders had only released singles in German, and those even before Modern Talking.

Personal life

The first wife of the German singer was Nora Balling, whom he fell in love with as a teenager. They got married back in 1984 at the dawn of their husband's stellar career. From the very beginning, their relationship was dominated by the strong character of Nora, who interfered in the creative process. It came to the point that the obstinate wife worked on the image of Thomas and selected the repertoire. That is why he appeared on stage with lips tinted with lipstick and at times looked languidly at his partner Dieter Bohlen, which gave rise to rumors about his unconventional orientation. In 1992, they stopped living together after Nora announced the appearance of a new passion in her life.

After a difficult breakup, the singer fell into depression, from which he was brought out by Claudia Hess, who worked as a professional translator. They met in 1996 in a small cafe "Faust". Then the shy Anders decided to approach and get acquainted with the beautiful blonde. Soon a relationship began, smoothly flowing into strong feelings. The marriage took place in 2000. Two years later, Claudia gave Thomas a son, Alexander Mink.

Thomas was born in the town of Münstermaifeld near Koblenz. His father was a burgomaster and encouraged his son to study music. Thomas sang in the church choir, took piano lessons for almost ten years and taught himself to play the guitar. After leaving school, he studied German studies (German language and literature) and musicology in Mainz. In 1979 he won the Radio Luxembourg competition. In 1980 his first single Judy was released. It was then that the record company advised Bernd to take the pseudonym Thomas Anders, with whom he enters the big stage. After the release of the single, Thomas made a 15-day tour of Germany with other young performers. In 1981, he made his television debut in the Michael Schanz show. In 1983, while recording a cover version of F.R.David's song, he met an aspiring producer and composer, Dieter Bohlen. This is followed by several more collaborations in German, as well as the English-language composition Catch Me I'm Falling (a cover version of a song by the Australian band Real Life), released as a Headliner project. The single Wovon Traumst Du Denn reaches number 16 in the German hit parade.

In October 1984, Thomas and Dieter joined the duet Modern Talking and released the single "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", which became number one in Europe. This single lasted half a year in European popularity lists. Over the next three years, Modern Talking recorded 6 albums and 9 singles, 5 of which were number one in the charts. The duo has sold over 60 million records, earning 40 platinum and over 200 gold awards. In 1987, Modern Talking ceased to exist due to the expiration of the contract and the unwillingness of both participants to renew it. Thomas as "Thomas Anders Show" goes on a world tour, which was a great success.

After the duo broke up (in 1987), Thomas collaborated with the trio MAN-X, who supported the artist during the world tour, and produced, together with his wife Nora (Nora Isabelle Balling), their singles Wating So Long and I Believe. In 1988, Anders, in collaboration with Marc Cassandra and under the direction of producer Jack White, wrote the composition I Can Never Let Me Go, which is included in his album In Liebe, for the famous artist Engelbert Humperdink.

In 1989, Anders released his first solo album, Different, produced and engineered by Gus Dudgeon, best known for his work with David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

In 1990, Anders (together with SBK Music Publishing) creates his own music publishing house "Thomas Anders Music", which in January 2000, with the participation of two partners Thomas Christian Geller and Guido Karp, is transformed into the music publishing house KA.G.B Music GmbH, collaborating with SONY / ATV Music Publishing (Germany) GmbH.

In 1991, in London, Anders, together with producers Paul Muggleton (Paul Muggleton) and Mike Paxman (Mike Paxman), known for working with Nick Kamen, began work on the second album "Whispers", which was published in Germany, France, Taiwan, Korea, South Africa and other countries. Backing vocals on the album were performed by English singer Judie Tzuke. The first single from this album, "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye", was given to Anders by the duo Roxette; the second single, "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)", was recorded in both English and Spanish.

In 1992, Anders moved to the record company POLYDOR (now Universal) and recorded the album Down On Sunset in the USA with famous producers Christian de Walden (Amanda Lear) and Ralf Stemmann (Ricky Martin). One of the songs included in the album, Thomas sang a duet with Glenn Medeiros (Glenn Medeiros), known for his cover of "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You".

In 1993 Anders acquired new experience, playing a role in the Swedish film "Stockholm Marathon". He also wrote the title song for this film.

Best of the day

For the next album, the manager introduced Thomas the biggest hit of the seventies "When Will I See You Again" from THE THREE DEGREES. This song led the new album, giving it its name. The musicians decided to invite her original performers. Thus, for the twentieth anniversary of the song, Thomas Anders performed again the ageless hit "When Will I See You Again" with THE THREE DEGREES. This short-term project developed into a further collaboration. Thomas gave Three Degrees a fresh start by writing several songs for their album Out The Past Into The Future, which gained great popularity.

In 1994, Anders released the album "Barcos de Cristal" in the USA on Spanish intended for the Latin American market. In Argentina, the album peaked at number one on the charts; Thomas also wrote the theme song for an Argentine TV series and "Tal Vez" for Marta Sánchez, which became a number one hit in Mexico.

While working in the US, Thomas met producer Peter Wolf, known for his work with Frank Zappa, and in 1995 they recorded and released the album Souled, which included a duet with the POINTER SISTERS.

In 1996, Thomas Anders, hiding under the pseudonym "Phantomas", Thomas took part in the dance project of the same name and, together with producers Ramon Zenker (FRAGMA), Andreas Schneider (KOSMONOVA) and Olaf Diekman (AQUAGEN), recorded a couple of singles: "Our House" (a cover of the MADNESS hit), and "No Doubt About It".

Another dance project that Thomas Anders took part in was called CHAIN ​​REACTION. The only single "Every Word You Said" was released in 1997 in collaboration with producer Axel Breitung (DJ BOBO).

After the success of Stockholm Marathon, Thomas played in the short German film Phantom Pain (Phantomschmerz) and sang a song for this film.

Developing as a musician and creative person, Thomas Anders found an additional stimulus in his work by playing jazz. In early 1997, he released a live album on which he performed famous jazz standards.

In the spring of 1998 there was a sudden revival of the duo Modern Talking, which had broken up more than ten years ago. Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen record an album of remixes and old hits of the group (Back For Good) and go on a concert tour together. However, after 5 years (in 2003), the history of the duet again stops no less unexpectedly.

During the existence of the revived Modern Talking, Thomas does not leave work on projects with other stars, for which he writes songs and participates in their production. Among them are collaborations with No Angels, T-Seven (the project of the former soloist of the band Mr. President, popular in the mid-90s of the last century), Marta Sanchez, Isabel Varell, It G!rls.

Personal life The singer also does not stand still - after the proposal made at Christmas in 1999, on July 15, 2000 in Stromburg, Thomas Anders is married to Claudia Hess. Two years later, Anders becomes a father - on June 27, 2002, his son Alexander Mick Weidung was born.

On May 31 and June 1, 2003, Thomas gave two concerts for the first time in the USA (Atlantic City, New Jersey and Chicago), and in September 2003, together with the Scorpions, he played a grand concert in Moscow on Red Square.

In 2004, Anders' 19th solo album, This Time, was released, which brought him the highest chart positions in the history of his solo career. With the first single "Independent Girl", Thomas instantly took 17th place in the German hit parade and 6th in Russia. While recording the album, Thomas brought in an international production team that had previously worked with Britney Spears.

Thomas Anders wrote the official anthem for the ice ballet "Holiday On Ice", listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Thomas' ballad "Just Dream" became the main musical theme two programs - "Fantasy" and "Diamond Dreams", which were included in the "Dream Tour 2004-2005".

On April 16 and 17, 2005, Thomas Anders gave two more concerts in the USA (in New York and Chicago), and from October 27 to 29, 2006 - three more: in Chicago, Irvington (New Jersey) and New Britain.

In March 2006, Thomas fulfilled his old dream and recorded an acoustic album with orchestral accompaniment, inviting the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra and the Film Studio Orchestra in Babelsberg for this purpose. Songs Forever, produced by Peter Rees (N'Sync), collected the most popular songs of the eighties, re-arranged in the swing style. April saw the release of The DVD Collection, following in the footsteps of Songs Forever; This DVD includes twenty of Thomas' videos from his entire creative career.

In 2009, the duet of Thomas Anders and the star of the 80s singer Sandra "The Night Is Still Young" was released as a single. A year later, the premiere of the album "Strong" took place, which was created specifically for the Russian fans of the singer.

A number of pop songs "Why do you cry?", "Stay with me", "My Angel", "Sorry, Baby" provided the disc with double platinum status and second place in the Russian rating of pop artists. In support of the album, Thomas Anders held a large tour of the cities of Russia Strong Tour. In 2012, the singer released the compilation "Christmas for You", consisting of 4 new songs and a number of cover versions of Christmas-themed hits.

In 2016, Thomas Anders delighted fans with the release of the History disc, which, in addition to the hits of past years, included two new songs, Lunatic and Take the Chance, recorded in the style of Modern Talking. The Russian premiere of the album took place in Moscow in the Great Hall of Crocus City Hall. The online broadcast of the performance of the idol of the 80s was held on the radio "Retro-FM".

In 2017, the artist released the next album "Pures Leben", all the songs of which were performed in German. In the same year, a video clip for the hit "Der Beste Tag Meines Lebens" was released.

SUMMER AT THE SINGER WAS HOT. THE FORMER MODERN TALKING SINGER PERFORMS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND AND HUNGARY, PLAYS CHARITY FOOTBALL MATCHES TO HELP SICK CHILDREN, AND IN AUGUST IS GOING TO VISIT YALTA WITH A BIG CONCERT. THE EVE THOMAS ANDERS HAD TOLD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HIS LIFE NOW.

THOMAS ANDERS BIOGRAPHY: WE LEFT AT THE HEIGHT OF FAME

Thomas Anders, many years have passed since the collapse of Modern Talking. Do you miss those times?
- In principle, it is not in my rules to grieve about the past days. I try to enjoy today.
If the Modern Talking project were alive... As they say, history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. I think even if we had not made the decision to leave, interest in us would still soon fade away. And it's even better that we left at the peak of fame.
An absolutely unforgettable feeling when you sing in a huge stadium full of inspired people. And I, of course, am grateful to fate that this grandiose success has been in my life. Survive this falls only to a few. Although even now the public accepts me very warmly.

Surprisingly, Modern Talking still has quite a few fans. And among them are not only people "over thirty".
- Initially, Dieter Bohlen and I are completely different. But everyone brought their own to the project, and together they created magic that fascinates people to this day. We had a clear division of responsibilities: he is a composer and producer, I am a voice. He liked to spend time in the studio, but I love the stage, I love performing. Modern Talking is both of us. We are halves of one whole. But the break was inevitable, and each of us asked ourselves only one question: when will this happen.
As for the fans, it was a complete surprise for them. They could not understand why, due to some kind of disagreement, they would be left without their favorite music. We planned then the beginning of a new tour, and the break meant the complete collapse of all plans. But to be honest, I felt relieved. A big and important stage of my life was over.

THOMAS ANDERS AND NORA: I WAS BETWEEN TWO FIRES

Thomas Anders, there was talk that Modern Talking broke up because of your first wife Nora.
- As a matter of fact. Dieter cannot get along with anyone, he has never parted ways with anyone in a good way: neither with his women, nor with his colleagues. So our breakup was a foregone conclusion. Nora saw through Dieter and reacted sharply to manifestations of his egocentrism. Of course he didn't like it. I was between two fires. In fact, my wife tried to protect me, since I did not want to go into open conflict - I had enough stress associated with touring and performing.

In an interview, you say that Dieter has always been a person who tends to put pressure on others.
- He communicates with people in his characteristic harsh manner. It was a real pain in the ass! When we first met, Dieter was quite normal. But gradually everything that was heard from him came down to “I”: “My song became number 1, I hit the air on television, me, me, me.” And so without end. The merits of other people did not exist for him. In 2011, in a duet with Uwe Fahrenkrog Petersen, I recorded the album Two. And after one of the first joint performances, Uwe even claimed that I still shudder if I see a blond next to me on stage.

When did you last see Dieter Bohlen, what did you talk about?
- Nothing. We recently ran into each other at the airport, but Dieter pretended not to notice me. So we didn't even say hello.

THOMAS ANDERS WIFE CLAUDIA: THE GENTLEMEN OF MUSIC

Thomas Anders, you are a handsome man and a faithful husband. How do these two properties coexist in one person, who, moreover, has so many admirers?
- When I got married (and this happened twice in my life), I did not go blind and did not stop being a man. Of course I pay attention to beautiful women It gives me aesthetic pleasure. Fans are attracted to my stage image, but there is also an ordinary life where I am married, happily married and value this relationship too much to test it with casual hobbies.


- Your second wife Claudia looks like Nora...
- I like blondes, but the similarity between Nora and Claudia, perhaps, ends there. Nora is a spoiled girl who demanded instant fulfillment of her desires. And Claudia is a very light, positive person.

Does your ten-year-old son Alexander like Modern Talking songs?
- He doesn't listen to my songs especially. Alexander has the ability and he studies music, but his interest in it is much less than I had at his age. Of course, my son knows about Modern Talking and about my work in general. Once he even went on stage with me! But he likes it much more when dad is at home and we can chat or go somewhere together. I think that Alexander is my biggest hit. Although I spend a lot of time traveling, and Claudia is mainly involved in his upbringing. But when I'm on tour, we constantly call each other.

You are very loved in the vastness of the CIS. Do you interact with fans outside of concerts?
- Oh, I have a fresh story about this! On March 1st, my 50th birthday, someone rang the doorbell. Behind her was a bouquet of white roses, so huge that the person holding it could not be seen. I could not understand who sent such a treasure. But the messenger remembered that he had left a postcard in his car. I ran after her, and I read: "To the gentleman of music with love from Russian fans." It was a pleasant surprise. I love flowers, especially white ones.
In general, I must say that now I live on the sunny side of the street and try to enjoy every day. When at home, I am happy that my loved ones are nearby. When I'm on tour, I'm glad to meet the audience. In general, I am a very happy person!
Initially, Bohlen and I are completely different. But everyone brought their own to the project, and together they created magic that fascinates people to this day.

Thomas Anders is a German musician and singer, former lead singer of the pop group Modern Talking. Personal life, musical career, behind-the-scenes scandals - all this interests his many fans and, especially, fans. There are few people who have not heard the songs of the super popular group.

The birth of a star

Fans are often interested in information about how old Thomas Anders is. This fact is known and fully available to the public.

On March 1, 1963, in the German town of Münstermaifeld, located near Koblenz, Peter and Helga Weidung had birth second child Bernd. It will take about twenty years and first Germany, and then the whole world will recognize him as a famous singer. Father Peter Weidung was Mayor of Munstermeifeld, and mother Helga was engaged in small business.

The older brother Achim was a noisy and restless boy, so Helga dreamed that the next child in their family became a girl. Little Bernd was the opposite of his brother - quiet and calm. He had a tender, feminine face, so that part of the mother's wish was fulfilled.

Of all the toys, Bernd loved the Barbie doll the most. Subsequently, both women he married will be blondes with blue eyes. Their type, similar to the famous toy, is probably not accidental.

Childhood and youth

The first fame came to Bernd Weidung at the age of six. His parents rented a small cafe where Helga was in charge. It was here that her young son began his public performances. The inhabitants of Münstermeifeld appreciated his talent and even gave him a guitar, which he immediately began to learn to play.

At the age of seven, the boy went to school and began to sing in the church choir. At the same time he was born younger sister Tanya-Katrin. Young Bernd Weidung continues to learn to play the guitar and piano. And he also begins to take vocal lessons. In such early age he was already firmly convinced that a career as a professional musician and singer awaited him.

Upon completion of schooling, the young man goes to Mainz to study German language and literature, as well as musicology.

professional stage

In 1979, Bernd became the winner of a music competition held by Radio Luxembourg. Then, in 1980, the single Judy was released, after which a contract was signed with CBS. It was at this time that the transformation of Bernd Weidung into Thomas Anders takes place. The age of the young star by that time had not reached 18 years.

After recording the song, he goes on his first tour in Germany. In 1981, he made his debut in Michael Schanz's television program Do You Have Time for Us Today?

Modern Talking

In 1983, a historic event took place. acquaintance of young Thomas and the pitcher big hopes composer and producer Dieter Bohlen. Several joint compositions were recorded in German, one of which took 16th place in the national hit parade.

Success in Germany for a young group was a good result, but Thomas and Dieter wanted much more. It became clear that for an international breakthrough, songs in English were needed.

On October 29, 1984, the single "You' re My Heart, You' re My Soule" was released by the new musical duo Modern Talking. After its release, this song was not very popular. But on January 21, 1985, the team performed in the Formula 1 television program, and from that moment on, the composition broke first into the German and then the European charts.

Then comes the first album of the group, which was a great success. In September 1985, on the Peter's Pop Show, the musicians received 75 platinum and gold discs.

Between 1984 and 1987, the duo released six LPs. The musicians of Modern Talking have set a personal record of popularity that no one has been able to surpass so far: the release of five No. 1 singles in succession in the German charts. In just three years, the duo received 40 platinum and 200 gold discs.

The European musical life of that time is unimaginable without such hits as "Cheri, Cheri Lady", Brother Louie, Atlantis Is Calling and "Geronimo's Cadillac". The musical group had fantastic popularity in the territory of the former USSR. Several albums were released at the Melodiya record company, which quickly received platinum status.

Despite such a grandiose success, in 1987 the duet suspended its activities at the mutual desire of the participants. The reasons for this are various:

1. Mutual dislike of the duet members.
2. Dieter's selfish and arrogant behavior towards Thomas.
3. Copyright dispute.
4. The constant interference of Anders' wife Nora Balling in the affairs of the group.

Solo activity

After the collapse of Modern Talking, the singer goes on a tour called The Thomas Anders Show, which was a major success. In 1987, Thomas Anders and Nora Balling moved to Los Angeles. In 1988, Thomas wrote the song "I Can Never Let You Go" for the world famous singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

Six discs were released between 1989 and 1995, including a Spanish-language album that reached number one in Argentina, but they did not have the same success as a duo. In 1990, Anders created his own music publishing house Thomas Anders Music, then transformed into KA. G. B. Music GmbH.

In 1993, the singer made his film debut. In the movie "Stockholm Marathon" he starred in one of the main roles, and also wrote the soundtrack called Marathon Of Life.

In 1994, there was a change in the image, which was radically different from the image of Thomas Anders in his youth: the hairstyle was noticeably shortened, the style of clothing changed, from multi-colored shiny suits to strict dark tones.

Duo resurrection

In March 1998, a press conference was held at the Marriot Hotel in Frankfurt, during which the reunion Modern Talking. Then the duet performed live on the television program "We bet that?". Several old songs were presented in modern arrangements.

At the same time, the album Back For Good was released, which went platinum in Germany and other European countries. In total, 26 million copies have been sold worldwide. This result surpassed the success of the duo in the eighties.

The group's style has transformed from eurodisco to eurodance. Initially, rap artist Eric Singleton appeared in the line-up, but this experiment drew criticism from the duo's old fans. Since 2001, the musicians began to perform and record in the same format.

A total of five albums were recorded between 1999 and 2003, many of which have gone platinum. Despite this, on June 7, 2003, at a concert in the German city of Rostock, the final disintegration of the duet was announced. On June 21, the final concert of the famous band was played in Berlin.

Among the reasons for the final closure of the project were official and unofficial versions:

1. Anders' solo tour in the US in the summer of 2003 with the German singer CC Catch.
2. Falling sales of the duo's albums.
3. Dieter Bohlen's desire to engage in the German TV show "Germany is looking for a superstar".

Continuation of own creativity

After the collapse of the duet, Thomas Anders in September 2003, together with the Scorpions, gives a triumphant concert in Moscow on Red Square. In 2004, the singer's album This Time was released, which became the most successful throughout his solo career.

In 2010, the Strong album was released, intended for Russian fans. In one month, he achieved gold status. In his support, a large tour of the cities of Russia was held. In March 2012, this disc goes platinum.

The singer continues to be active creative work, recording new songs. Concert activity covers different cities and countries.

First marriage

The first wife of the singer was Nora-Isabelle Balling. She was born on July 31, 1964 in the German city of Koblenz. Also known as Nora Anders, she was the third child of wealthy parents.

Their acquaintance took place in 1981, when Thomas was still Bernd Weidung. At that time, Nora received a diploma in make-up and cosmetology, and was also engaged in painting. hallmark her character was stubbornness and intemperance.

On December 28, 1984, Anders and Nora got married, and on July 27, 1985 they got married in a Catholic church in Koblenz. The couple took each other's surnames and Thomas was now recorded in the passport as Bernd Weidung-Balling.

During the band's active times, Nora was Anders' personal manager and image maker. Thanks to her advice, Thomas appeared on stage with tinted lips and looked languidly at his duet partner, which gave rise to rumors about the singer's unconventional orientation.

Dieter Bohlen could hardly endure the explosive nature of Anders' wife and, according to one version, it was Nora who was the true cause of the conflict between Dieter and Thomas.

After the duo broke up in 1987, the couple moved to live in California. They jointly performed under the banner of Modern Talking, which caused bewilderment of the fans.

In the future, Anders was forced to spend more time in Europe, since in America it was not possible to achieve success in the nineties. At first, Thomas regularly visited his wife in Los Angeles, but since 1994 he stopped doing this.

On February 21, 1999, Anders and Nora Balling officially divorced. Now her family leads a secluded lifestyle in a resort town near Koblenz. Nora is sometimes seen attending veteran golf tournaments that her sister participates in.

New relationship

Shortly after parting with Nora, which Thomas was very worried about, he met Claudia Hess, who became his translator. Unlike the first wife, the character of the new girl was light and cheerful, exactly what Anders needed.

Young people started dating, and in 2000 Thomas Anders and Claudia Hess got married. In 2002, they had a son, Alexander Mik Weidung.

Interesting facts about the singer:

1. Thomas is the owner of a Michael Jackson hat, signed by Michael especially for him.
2. Anders is the author of the anthem for the ballet Holiday On Ice, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
3. During the release of the first Modern Talking album in the USSR at the Melodiya record label, the singer was named Thomas Peters.

Now the singer and musician is completely satisfied with his life and in an interview calls himself a happy person. Looking at his family photos, this can be easily believed.

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