Tom Sanders singer. Biography of Thomas Anders
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. From 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 in 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 Anders is a German pop artist, lead singer of Modern Talking, composer, performer of the songs "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", "Cheri, Cheri Lady", "Brother Louie". Thomas was born on March 1, 1963 in the small German town of Munstermeifelde, not far from Koblenz, in the family of Burgomaster Peter Weidung, a financier by education. The boy was born with the name Berndhart Weidung. The mother of the future singer Helga Weidung was engaged in entrepreneurship - she kept a cafe and a shop along the highway to Koblenets. In the family, in addition to Bernd, the eldest son Achim and the youngest daughter Tanya-Katrin were brought up.
From the age of 7, Bernd began his studies at the general education and music schools of Münstermaifeld. For several years, the boy mastered playing the piano and guitar, repeatedly became the winner of music competitions and festivals. From an early age, Bernd sang in the church choir. In high school, Weidung transferred to the Koblenz Gymnasium.
Music
In 1979, Bernd became a laureate of the Radio Luxembourg competition, and a year later he made his debut with the single "Judy" and immediately, on the recommendation of the producers of the recording studio, took a sonorous pseudonym. The name for the scene Bernd chose together with his brother, using the telephone directory. The surname Anders was the first on the list, and the brothers considered the name Thomas international.
A year later, the young artist was invited to air the music show Michael Schanz. In 1983, a meeting with a musician took place. It took the singers a year to unite in a joint project called "Modern Talking".
"Modern Talking"
The first single of the new disco group "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", which was included in the debut album "The First Album", was the discovery of the year. The song held the leading position in the European popular music rating for six months, and the disc itself was sold daily in the amount of 40,000 copies.
The musicians became winners and laureates of international music awards, and each appearance at the concert of the band's frontman Thomas Anders caused a storm of delight among the fans. The soloist of Modern Talking, having an attractive appearance and a slender figure (Thomas's height is 172 cm, weight is 84 kg), became a real sex symbol of that time.
The musicians signed the first contract for three years. During this time, Thomas and Dieter released six records, among which the first four received the greatest popularity: "The First Album", "Let's Talk About Love", "Ready for Romance", "In the Middle of Nowhere".
Thomas Anders in duet "Modern Talking"
In 1987, after the expiration of the contract, the group broke up, and each of the leaders of the musical group began a solo career. But neither Thomas nor Dieter managed to repeat the success of Modern Talking, so in 1998 the musicians resumed their creative union. The group's musical style changed to techno and eurodance: the first album after the break, "Back For Good", contained mainly dance tracks and remixes of previous hits.
In 1999, the duo received an award at the Monte Carlo Music Festival in the nomination "The best-selling German group in the world." Soon 4 more discs appeared: "Alone", "Year of the Dragon", "America", "Victory and Universe". To diversify the sound, rap artist Eric Singleton was invited to the group. Fans did not like the new trio, so the clips in which the rapper participated were re-shot. In 2003, the group ended its existence.
Solo career
Work in the disco group Modern Talking played a positive role in the development of the creative biography of Thomas Anders, and the singer was able to achieve the same success on his own only in the 2000s. After the first breakup of the band, the musician leaves for America with his wife. For 10 years, Thomas has released six solo albums: "Different", "Whispers", "Down On Sunset", "When Will I See You Again", "Barcos de cristal" and "Souled".
In the early 90s, Anders recorded the songs "Waiting So Long", "I Believe", "The Sweet Hello", "The Sad Goodbye", "Can't Give You Anything". In 1993, Thomas Anders gained acting experience by starring in the films Stockholm Marathon and Phantom Pain. Working in the USA, the singer tries himself in various musical directions: Latino, soul, lyrics, ballad style, jazz.
In the second half of the 90s, Thomas mastered the dance direction, working on joint projects Phantomas and Chain Reaction. In 1997, Anders recorded a live jazz concert, the full video of which was distributed only among members of the singer's fan club.
Thomas Anders and the Scorpions in Moscow
After the second breakup of the Modern Talking group in 2003, Anders began his solo career again. Together with the production center that worked with, the artist creates the album "This time". The singer gives concerts in major US cities (Atlantic City, New Jersey, New York and Chicago), gives a joint concert with the Scorpions on Red Square in Moscow.
For the second disc “Songs Forever”, the artist reworks a number of compositions from the mid-80s, performing them in a swing style, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. In the same year, a disc from the DVD Collection series was released, which included all the videos filmed over the 20-year period of Thomas Anders' musical 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" provide the disc with double platinum status and second place in the Russian rating of pop artists. In support of the album, Thomas Anders conducts a large tour of the cities of Russia Strong Tour. In 2012, the singer publishes the collection "Christmas for You", consisting of 4 new compositions and a number of cover versions of Christmas-themed hits.
Personal life
Thomas Anders is married for the second time. The first wife of the singer was the aristocrat Eleanor (Nora) Balling. The wedding of young people took place in 1984, the wedding - a year later. Nora had a strong influence on her husband, she often interfered in the creative process of Modern Talking.
Educated as a cosmetologist-make-up artist, Balling participated in creating the image of her husband. In 1987, the couple moved to the California coast, since 1994 the relationship of the spouses was completely upset, and in 1998 a divorce took place.
In 1996, Thomas met Claudia Hess, who became his translator. The easy nature of the girl attracted the artist, and soon the young people began to meet, and in 2000 they got married. Two years after the wedding, Thomas and Claudia had a son, Alexander Mick Weidung. Now Thomas is satisfied with his personal life and career and calls himself a happy person, which is confirmed by joint family photos that regularly appear in the media.
Thomas Anders now
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.
Discography
- "Different" - 1989
- "Whispers" - 1991
- "Down On Sunset" - 1992
- "When Will I See You Again" - 1993
- "Barcos de Cristal" - 1994
- "Souled" - 1995
- "This time" - 2004
- "Songs Forever" - 2006
- "Strong" - 2010
- "Christmas for You" - 2012
- "History" - 2016
- "Pures Leben" - 2017
Modern Talking - Kapcsolat concert 1998
Modern Talking is a pop legend. In the late 80s, it was the most popular band in Europe, everyone listened to them, from teenagers to the elderly. Modern Talking musicians Dieter Bohlen and Thomas Anders met in 1982, and two years later the duet was founded.
Dieter Bohlen was born in 1954 on February 7, Thomas Anders (Bernd Weidung real name) was born on March 1, 1963. Their acquaintance took place thanks to Hansa, a recording company in Berlin. At that time, Bohlen, an aspiring producer and composer, was looking for a vocalist who would perform the song "Was macht das schon", Thomas responded to the offer and they began to work together.
By 1984, five singles were released, they performed compositions in German. Over time, Dieter realized that world popularity is impossible without songs in English. The English-language project Headliner was released in the same year, but the songwriter was Steve Benson, Bohlen's pseudonym.
The super hit from which the stellar history of the group began is called "You're My Heart, You're My Soul". Success came immediately, forty thousand records were bought every day in Germany alone. Popularity came to Modern Talking, they began to take first place in the national charts, and later in Europe.
The Adidas company concludes a contract with Dieter Bohlen to show the brand's clothing at concerts and in clips.
In 1985, the first album was released, which was called the "First Album", which included the only song in the entire history of the duet's existence performed by Bohlen. The records were released in huge numbers, and they were successfully sold out. The next hit "Cheri Cheri Lady" and the next album sold out in two weeks in the form of 186 thousand copies!
Modern Talking is becoming famous almost all over the world. The group got into the American and English chats with the hits "Brother Louis" and "Atlantis Calls". The next album, which included the composition "Cadillac Geronimo", became no less popular among the people.
What caused it is unknown, but Dieter Bohlen and Anders had disagreements. The final break occurred in 1986 at a concert, the reason was a quarrel over the performing staff. Many blamed Nora Balling, Anders' wife, for the breakup; that evening she and three other girls were backing vocalists.
Until the end of the contract, a year passed, during which time two albums were released, and in 1987 the group finally broke up.
Anders went to the states and began to sing solo. He also sang Modern Talking compositions, performing as a group of the same name, despite the fact that Dieter was absent from the stage.
Bohlen began work on the Blue System project. Songs based on his music and lyrics were sung by Chris Norman, C.C. Keitch and many other artists.
A few years later, in 1998, the duo returned to the stage with an album consisting of old remixes and four new compositions. The success exceeded expectations, the musicians admitted that they had been planning the unification for a long time, but kept this information a secret.
A significant event was dedicated to the tour together with the musicians of the "Blue System". Five albums were released until Bohlen announced the band's breakup in 2003. This came as a surprise to everyone. The farewell concert took place in June 2003. According to the official version, the collapse occurred due to the tour of Thomas without the knowledge of Bohlen. Both musicians again decided to pursue solo careers.
For some time, the group remained popular in the newspapers, as Anders filed a lawsuit against Dieter after he spoke unflatteringly about him in his autobiography.
Be that as it may, many performers can only dream of the great success of the Modern Talking duet.
Thomas Anders is an actor, musical composer, and also a famous German singer who became famous all over the world thanks to his participation in the Modern Talking group. Birth name is Bernd Weidung.
Thomas Anders: biography
The famous artist was born on March 1, 1963 in the small German town of Munstermeifelde, Rhineland-Palatinate. His parents and elder brother live on this land to this day.
As a child, Thomas Anders (photo of the singer can be seen in the article) performed in the church choir. The artist studied at a music school in the piano class, and at home he tried to play the guitar on his own.
But the parents of the musical boy saw him as a builder and showed concern, involving the guy in physical labor. So, Thomas' dad was engaged in building a house for his older brother, and the guy helped by pushing wheelbarrows with cement, while being dressed in a strict jacket with a tie.
After completing his studies at school, Bernd Weidung took up the study of the German language and literature, and also allocated some time for musicology. At the age of 16, the future member of the popular disco group "Modern Talking" won the "Radio Luxembourg" contest, having interested several recording organizations in his person. One of these companies offered the singer to use the pseudonym Thomas Anders and record the song Judy, which became 1 of 9 singles released by the musician before meeting the composer and producer Dieter Bohlen.
After that, two or three collaborations were released in German and the English-language single Catch Me I'm Falling. The song Wovon träumst du denn reached number 16 on the German charts.
Thomas Anders from Modern Talking
At the age of 21, Thomas and his new friend Dieter Biter joined forces and began to perform as part of a duet called Modern Talking. The group's first hit was the single You're My Heart, You're My Soul, which held a leading position in many European countries. The recorded song was able to hold out on the first lines of numerous charts for 6 months.
For almost 3 years, the musicians performed together in the same group. During this time, 6 collections and 9 singles were recorded, 5 of which occupied leading positions in all music charts in Europe. The disco group has sold more than 60 million sound carriers, receiving 40 platinum and about 200 gold awards. In 1987, the contract expired, and Anders went on a world tour with a solo program.
Solo career
After 2 years, singer Thomas Anders released his solo album. And a year later he created his own music publishing house. For 11 years, the former member of the popular group "Modern Talking" has developed as a musician and creative person. In the late 90s, the singer was able to find an additional incentive for himself in his work, carried away by jazz. Anders even released an album with recorded compositions that were designed as a jazz concert. The collection includes songs of many famous artists performing songs in this style.
Return of the popular band
However, in the spring of 1998, unexpectedly for fans of the famous singer, a triumphant reunion of the famous disco group Modern Talking took place. Thomas and Dieter released a collection of remixes and old compositions of the group, with which they went on tour.
Modest and shy young people over time turned into courageous men and professional musicians. The group's fame increased significantly, and the new version of the single You Can Win If You Want became the main hit of that time.
However, returning to the group was far from easy. Speaking to the public, the men tried to appear as old friends, but behind the scenes they openly feuded. The musical duo reunited only for the sake of continuing their careers.
In 2003, 5 years after the reunion of the popular disco group, the duo broke up forever. During this period of time, the musical group "Modern Talking" released 5 collections, 3 of which became "platinum".
There have also been changes in the singer's personal life. In 1998, he filed for divorce from his wife, after living together for 14 years. The first wife of Thomas was Nora Balling, who created the stage image of her husband.
The second time the famous singer legalized the relationship with the translator Claudia Hess. The couple met in 1996, and in the summer of 2002 the couple had their first child, Alexander.