Michelle: All information about the German pop singer – her career and greatest hits

Created: 01/31/2022, 16:41

Pop singer Michelle © Frederic Kern / IMAGO

Michelle successfully took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001.

Privately, the pop singer went through some crises and had to deal with major health and financial problems.

Mainz – On May 18, 1995, Michelle appeared with her band on the "ZDF hit parade" and presented one of her successful songs.

It was titled "Traumtänzerball" and was taken from the album of the same name.

Michelle has been a guest on this show several times before.

In the years that followed, the pop singer developed into one of the most popular German artists.

During this time, she often made headlines with her turbulent private life, especially because of her relationship with the German pop star Matthias Reim.

Michelle: origin, childhood and youth of the German pop singer

Michelle was born Tanja Gisela Hewer on February 15, 1972 in Villingen-Schwenningen in the Black Forest.

First she grew up in her birth family with the two siblings Alexander and Madeleine in Blumberg.

When she was ten years old, she was placed in a foster family.

Michelle sang in a band when she was a teenager.

Michelle: The beginning of her career and her first big hits

The pop singer owes her successful musical career not least to her colleague Kristina Bach. She discovered Michelle's talent in 1993 and recommended her to music producer Jean Frankfurter. He recorded the song "And tonight I want to dance" with the young pop singer. It was played by many radio stations and quickly became a hit, with which Michelle later appeared in the "ZDF hit parade".

A year later, the pop singer took part in the German Schlager Festival, which was held in June 1994 in the Baden-Baden Festival Hall.

In this competition, she took second place behind the pop singer Wolfgang Petry with the title "Silbermond und Sternenfeuer" and won the Silver Muse award.

Jean Frankfurter composed the music for this song and Kristina Bach wrote the lyrics.

With "Herzklopfen" the hit star released another song that is still often played on the radio today.

Michelle: The further career as a pop singer

In the years that followed, Michelle established herself as one of the most sought-after German pop singers and achieved a high media presence.

During this time she achieved numerous positions at the top of the charts, including these hits:

• Sleeping Beauty woke up, 1995

• Dream Dancer's Ball, 1995

• He called her my baby Jane, 1996

• In the Eye of the Hurricane, 1997

• Call it love or madness, 1998

• Your doll doesn't dance anymore, 1999

After coming third in the preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 with the song "Im Auge des Orkans", her career reached a first high point in 2001: the pop singer decided the German preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song taking place in Copenhagen at the second attempt contest for yourself.

Michelle appeared at this Countdown Grand Prix in Hanover in March 2001 with the song "Wer Liebe Leben" (Wer Love Lives).

The music of the title was composed by M. Gino Trovatello and Matthias Stingl, the text was written by Eva Richter.

Two months later, Michelle reached eighth place with this song at the Eurovision Song Contest in the Danish capital.

The English version "To live for Love" became popular throughout Europe.

Michelle: More hits from the pop singer until her career break

In the first decade of the new millennium, the pop singer launched numerous hits and was regularly at the top of the German pop charts.

Among other things, she published the following songs during this time:

• I am sending you an angel now, 2001

• Idiot, 2002, in a duet with Matthias Reim

• Say it again, 2005

• Bigger Than Us, 2006

• Flying, 2005

• Maybe just once in a lifetime, 2005

• Do you want me forever, 2007

• Hello Tanya, 2007

In 2008, the singer declared her career over and no longer wanted to appear as Michelle.

Michelle: The comeback of the pop singer

The singer continued her career in 2009.

She released a new studio album entitled Goodbye Michelle, which was originally intended to be the artist's final release.

In the period that followed, the pop singer appeared more and more in live shows and on television.

She achieved great success with the following songs, among others:

• Fallen Angel, 2010

• The best moment, 2011

• What if my heart is wrong, 2012

• Cardiac arrest, 2014

• Celebrating Life, 2016

• Dreams have wings, 2017

• Around the world in 80 kisses, 2018

• Gone Gone, 2020

Michelle: The pop singer's discography

Over the course of her long career, the crooner released a live album entitled The Ultimate Best of.

It was released in 2015. Michelle's discography otherwise features the following studio albums:

• First Longing, 1993

• Dream Dancer's Ball, 1995

• Like Flames in the Wind, 1997

• Call it love or madness, 1998

• Something like love, 2000

• Blush, 2002

• life, 2005

• Glass, 2006

• My Passion, 2006

• Goodbye Michelle, 2009

• The best moment, 2010

• L'amour, 2012

• I would do it again, 2016

• Taboo, 2018

• Different is good, 2020

Michelle: family, partner and children of the pop singer

Since the beginning of her career, Michelle has made headlines with her personal life.

The pop singer has been married twice so far and once lived in a partnership lasting several years, she entered into these connections with the following gentlemen:

• 1995 to 1999 marriage to Albert Oberloher (singer of the band Wind)

• 1991 to 2001 relationship with Matthias Reim

• 2007 to 2010 marriage to Josef Shitawey

Michelle started a family with all three men, each having a daughter.

Their three children were born during these years:

• 1997 Celine Oberloher

• 2000 Marie Rhyme

• 2007 Mia Carolin Shitawey

Since the separation or divorce from Josef Shitawey, there have been various rumors about new relationships, and the singer, who now lives on Lake Constance, is now single.

Michelle: Other activities of the pop singer

The hit star opened a dog grooming salon in Cologne in 2004.

She was trained beforehand and also worked in the shop, which has since closed again.

In the spring of 2006, Michelle had her picture taken for the German edition of "Playboy" and graced the cover of this magazine.

The following year, erotic photos of the crooner appeared in the competing magazine "Maxim".

In 2012, Michelle was a judge on the show My Name Is.

In 2011 and 2012, the pop singer held the same position on the show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”.

She also took on this task in 2016 and 2017.

In addition, at the beginning of 2022 it became known that Michelle will take part in the show "Let's dance", which will start in February.

Michelle: The pop singer's health and financial problems

Despite her very successful musical career, Michelle has always struggled with major financial difficulties.

In August 2008, the star had to file for personal bankruptcy for this reason.

According to media reports, the singer had debts of around half a million euros at the time.

The main cause of the financial misery were various illnesses on the part of the singer, which made her performances impossible.

In 2004, the singer suffered a breakdown and had to be hospitalized.

In the spring of 2008, Michelle had a minor stroke from which she recovered quickly.

Nevertheless, she still suffers from the fact that the left side of her body is slightly weaker than the right.

In addition, the star suffered from depression on several occasions.

In addition, the pop singer had to accept a severe blow of fate in 2009 when she suffered a stillbirth.