Thomas Anders | |
|---|---|
 Anders in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernd Weidung |
| Born | 1 March 1963 Koblenz, West Germany |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Modern Talking |
| Spouses | Nora Balling
(m. 1984; div. 1999)Claudia Weidung-Anders
(m. 2000) |
| Website | thomas-anders |
Bernd Weidung (born 1 March 1963), known by his stage name Thomas Anders, is a German singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the only vocalist of the pop duo Modern Talking.[1]
Starting his singing career while still in school, Anders unsuccessfully attempted to establish himself as a Schlager artist for several years. After forming the Eurodisco duo Modern Talking with Dieter Bohlen in 1983, they became a worldwide sensation with their hit "You're My Heart, You're My Soul". They followed up with a string of other hits, namely "You Can Win If You Want", "Cheri, Cheri Lady", "Brother Louie", "Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. for Love)", "Geronimo's Cadillac", and "Jet Airliner", before dissolving in 1987. In 1998, they reunited and produced several new songs such as "You Are Not Alone", "Sexy, Sexy Lover", "No Face, No Name, No Number", "Ready for the Victory", and "TV Makes the Superstar", before dissolving again in 2003. Their controversial break-ups led to several lawsuits and heavy coverage from the German tabloid press. During their two stints together, the duo sold 120 million records worldwide and received numerous sales certifications around the globe.[2]
After the two break-ups of Modern Talking, Anders performed as a solo artist during the 1990s and after 2003. During the first Modern Talking split, he released six studio albums, none of which managed to chart, whereas some singles such as "Love of My Own" achieved mediocre success. Only his Spanish language album Barcos de Cristal (1994) proved successful in Argentina, where its eponymous title track climbed to number 1. Following the second break-up, Anders started a more successful solo career, with his album This Time (2004) reaching number 14 in Germany and producing number 1 hits in Russia and Turkey. His 2010 album Strong reached Platinum status in Russia for sales of more than 650,000 copies.[3] Two (2010), a collaboration album with Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen reached number 11 in Germany, while his first German language album Pures Leben (2017) climbed at number 14.
While being unable to match his success with Modern Talking with his solo career, Anders is considered a musical icon in Eastern Europe, where he is more revered than in his native country and regularly performs stadium tours and on New Year's Eve in Poland. In 2006, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv made him an honorary professor for "shaping the musical taste of a generation", and he holds the distinction for being the best-selling foreign artist of all time in Russia.[4]
- ^ "Allmusic: Biography (Thomas Anders)". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Neues 'Modern Talking' mit Medlock und Bohlen" [The new "Modern Talking" with Medlock and Bohlen]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 17 May 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
- ^ "RIAN: Thomas Anders gets awarded" (in German). RIAN Germany. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Boy, Ann-Dorit (24 April 2009). "Modern Talking: Die Russen mögen's Anders". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2018.