Astrid North facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Astrid North
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2012 in Hamburg
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Astrid Karina North Radmann |
| Also known as | Astrid North |
| Born | 24 August 1973 West Berlin, West Germany |
| Origin | Berlin |
| Died | 25 June 2019 (aged 45) Berlin, Germany |
| Genres | Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, lecturer |
| Instruments | piano |
| Years active | 1992–2019 |
| Labels | Astrid North Records |
| Associated acts | Cultured Pearls, Soulounge |
Astrid North (born Astrid Karina North Radmann) was a talented German soul singer and songwriter. She was born on August 24, 1973, in West Berlin, West Germany, and passed away on June 25, 2019, in Berlin. Astrid was best known as the lead singer of the German band Cultured Pearls. She also released five albums with them. She was also a guest singer for the band Soulounge, releasing three albums together.
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Astrid North's Music Journey
Astrid North started her singing journey in Berlin with her student band, Colorful Dimension. In March 1992, she met B. La and Tex Super. They were looking for a singer for their band, Cultured Pearls. The group became very popular in Germany. They had four hit singles and four successful albums.
In 1994, Astrid also sang for the dance-pop band Big Light. She was featured on their popular song Trouble Is. Later, in 1996, she worked with the Wingenfelder brothers from the band Fury in the Slaughterhouse. This led to the song Life's Too Short.
Astrid wrote and sang the song Sleepy Eyes. This song was featured in the movie Tor zum Himmel (2003). In 2003, she performed at the Das Fest festival. She sang her own songs and a cover of the Aerosmith hit Walk This Way with German singer Sasha. Astrid also toured with American singer Gabriel Gordon.
After Cultured Pearls ended in 2003, Astrid moved to New York City in 2004. She wanted to write new songs and try different music styles. She also worked with many different musicians there.
Helping Others Through Music
In 2005, Astrid joined a special project called Home. This project made an album to help orphans in Thailand. These children were affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Many artists helped, including Henning Rümenapp and Kai Wingenfelder. Astrid North also recorded a new version of the classic song Sunny with Bobby Hebb. This was the first time Bobby Hebb sang this song as a duet. It appeared on his last album.
In 2006, Astrid sang on three songs for the album The Ride. This was a project by jazz trumpeter Joo Kraus. She also taught workshops at the Popkurs in Hamburg.
Solo Career and Later Projects
In spring 2010, Astrid North opened for Miss Platnum on her Fakebling-Tour. The magazine Der Spiegel called her one of the "leading ladies of the local soul scene." On July 20, 2012, she released her first solo album, simply called North.
On September 16, 2016, Astrid released her second solo album, Precious Ruby. She dedicated this album to her grandmother, Precious Ruby North. Astrid used crowdfunding to help pay for the album. The first song released from this album was Miss Lucy. In 2016, she also started a concert series called North-Lichter in Berlin. She invited other singers like Katharina Franck and Lisa Bassenge to perform with her.
About Astrid North
Astrid North was born in West Berlin, West Germany. Her parents were Sondria North and Wolf-Dieter Radmann. Until she was nine years old, she often traveled between Berlin and Houston, Texas. In the USA, she mostly lived with her grandparents. Her time there greatly influenced her love for music.
Besides her music career, Astrid North also taught at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg in Hamburg. She was also a yoga teacher. Astrid was a mother to two children. Her daughter was born in 2001, and her son in 2006. Her sister, Ondria North, works as a make-up artist and hair stylist in German films.
Astrid North passed away in June 2019 at the age of 45.
What Songs Did Astrid North Make?
Here is a list of the music Astrid North released:
With Cultured Pearls
Albums
- 1996: Sing Dela Sing
- 1997: Space Age Honeymoon
- 1999: Liquefied Days
- 2002: Life on a Tuesday
Singles
- 1996: Tic Toc
- 1997: Sugar Sugar Honey
- 1998: Silverball
- 1999: Kissing the Sheets
With Soulounge
- 2003: The Essence of the Live Event – Volume One
- 2004: Home
- 2006: Say It All
Solo Music
- 2005: Sunny (Single, Bobby Hebb feat. Astrid North)
- 2012: North (Album)
- 2013: North Live (Album, live recordings)
- 2016: Sunny (Compilation, Bobby Hebb feat. Astrid North)
- 2016: Precious Ruby (Album)
As a Guest Singer
- 1994: Trouble Is – Big Light (Single)
- 1996: Life's Too Short – Little Red Riding Hood (Single)
- 2006: Basic Jazz Lounge: The Ride – Joo Kraus (Album)
