Thomas Anders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Anders
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Anders in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernd Weidung |
| Born | 1 March 1963 Koblenz, West Germany |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
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Bernd Weidung (born 1 March 1963), who is famous by his stage name Thomas Anders, is a German singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer of the popular pop duo Modern Talking.
Anders started his singing career when he was still in school. He first tried to become a Schlager artist, a type of popular German music. In 1983, he teamed up with Dieter Bohlen to form the Eurodisco group Modern Talking. They quickly became famous all over the world with their hit song "You're My Heart, You're My Soul".
Modern Talking had many other hit songs, including "You Can Win If You Want", "Cheri, Cheri Lady", and "Brother Louie". The group split up in 1987. They got back together in 1998 and released more hits like "You Are Not Alone" and "TV Makes the Superstar" before splitting up again in 2003. The duo sold 120 million records worldwide.
After Modern Talking, Anders continued his career as a solo artist. His Spanish album Barcos de Cristal (1994) was very successful in Argentina. After the second breakup, his solo career became even more successful. His album This Time (2004) was a hit in Germany, and he had number-one songs in Russia and Turkey. His 2010 album Strong sold over 650,000 copies in Russia.
Thomas Anders is considered a music icon in Eastern Europe. He often performs in large stadiums there. In 2006, a university in Kyiv, Ukraine, made him an honorary professor for "shaping the musical taste of a generation."
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Thomas Anders was born in Koblenz, West Germany. He grew up in the small village of Mörz with his older brother and younger sister. He loved music from a young age and took piano and singing lessons. When he was only six, he performed on stage for the first time.
At age ten, he won a singing contest against 100 other children. This gave him the chance to perform over 300 times at a local music hall. After high school, he studied music and German studies at a university. He wanted to become a music journalist, but he left his studies to focus on his singing career after Modern Talking became famous.
Career Beginnings
While still in school, Anders signed his first record contract and chose the stage name Thomas Anders. He released his first song, "Judy", in 1980, but it wasn't a hit. He released a few more songs in the German Schlager style, but none of them became popular.
In 1983, a music producer named Dieter Bohlen asked Anders to record German versions of popular English songs. They worked together on several tracks, but they still didn't find much success. This led them to try something new.
Modern Talking: A Global Sensation
1983–1987: The First Wave of Success
Since their German songs weren't hits, Bohlen and Anders decided to form a pop duo and sing in English. They called themselves Modern Talking. Their project became a huge success almost overnight.
In 1985, their song "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" became a massive hit after being shown on a popular German music TV show. The song reached the top ten in 35 countries and sold eight million copies worldwide. It was followed by another number-one hit, "You Can Win If You Want". Their first album, The 1st Album, sold over 500,000 copies in Germany.
The success continued with more hit singles like "Cheri, Cheri Lady", "Brother Louie", and "Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. for Love)". These songs topped the charts in many countries across Europe. "Brother Louie" was even a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom.
However, after their sixth album, the duo's popularity began to fade. Bohlen announced the end of the project in an interview. The two had a difficult relationship, and disagreements led to the breakup. They did not speak to each other for over 10 years.
1987–1998: A Solo Career
After Modern Talking split up, Anders moved to the United States and went on a world tour, singing the duo's famous songs. He then started his solo career. In 1989, he released his first solo album, Different, but it did not sell well.
Over the next few years, he released several more albums in different styles, including pop, soul, and even jazz. He also recorded an album completely in Spanish called Barcos de Cristal (1994). While some of his singles made it onto the German charts, he couldn't match the huge success he had with Modern Talking.
1998–2003: The Modern Talking Reunion
In late 1997, Bohlen and Anders decided to get back together. They reunited in 1998 on a popular TV show, performing a new version of "You're My Heart, You're My Soul". The song was a huge hit again, reaching the top 5 in many countries.
Their comeback album, Back For Good, went to number one in Germany and many other European countries. It sold over three million copies in Europe alone. The album included new versions of their old hits and some new songs.
They continued to release successful albums like Alone and Year of the Dragon. They had more hit singles, including "You Are Not Alone" and "`...` Lover". Their music was popular all over the world, especially in Eastern Europe.
In 2003, the duo split up for a second time after disagreements. Bohlen announced the breakup on stage during a concert, which was a surprise to Anders and the fans.
A Successful Solo Artist Again
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After the second breakup, Anders launched his solo career again, and this time it was more successful. His 2004 album, This Time, reached number 14 on the German charts. The singles "Independent Girl" and "King of Love" were hits in Russia and Turkey.
Anders is very popular in Eastern Europe, where he is seen as a music legend and performs in large stadiums. In 2010, his album Strong was a massive hit in Russia, selling over 650,000 copies.
In 2011, he worked with producer Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen on the album Two. It reached number 11 in Germany, his highest-charting solo album.
Return to German Music
In 2017, Anders released Pures Leben ("Pure Life"), his first album in German in nearly 35 years. It was a surprise success, reaching number 14 on the German charts. He was happy with its success, as he knows he is often more popular in other countries than in his home country of Germany.
He followed this with another German album, Ewig mit dir ("Forever with You"), in 2018, which climbed to number 12. One of its songs, a duet with singer Florian Silbereisen, became a chart hit.
Personal Life
Anders was married to Nora Balling from 1984 to 1999. On July 15, 2000, he married Claudia Hess. They have a son, Alexander Mick Weidung, who was born on June 27, 2002.
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)
- Ewig mit dir (2018)
- Cosmic (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Anders para niños
