Alexander Klaws
| Alexander Klaws | |
|---|---|
Klaws in 2016.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Klaws |
| Born | 3 September 1983 |
| Origin | Ahlen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | SonyBMG |
| Website | alexanderklaws |
Alexander Klaws (born 3 September 1983) is a German singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Ahlen, he rose to fame in 2003 after winning the debut season of the television series Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Idol series. His debut single, "Take Me Tonight", topped the German and Swiss Singles Charts and became the third best-selling single of 2003 in Germany. Klaws's debut studio album, Take Your Chance (2003), debuted at number one on German Albums Chart. It was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). The following year, his second album Here I Am reprised this success. In 2005, Klaws parted ways with his management and musical mentor Dieter Bohlen and developed a more rock-oriented sound with the release of his third album, Attention! (2006).
Alexander had a typical childhood growing up in Sendenhorst, Germany with his parents Richard and Hildegard and older sister Melanie (born 1980). He was an avid soccer player, and still plays soccer on charity teams whenever he finds the time. Alexander's musical gifts became apparent when he was still in elementary school. He made his first television appearance at the age of 10, performing Haddaway's "What Is Love" on a national TV show for children. By the time he was 13, Alexander was already taking vocal and piano lessons to strengthen his voice.
In 2002, Klaws was encouraged by his family and friends to audition for the debut season of the reality television series Deutschland sucht den Superstar. Although he was considered as one of the more inconspicuous top ten finalists at the very beginning of the show, he was able to boost his popularity constantly with standout performances of Robbie Williams' "Angels" or Michael Sembello's "Maniac". Klaws went on to win the competition on 8 March 2003, earning 70.1% of the votes against runner-up Juliette Schoppmann and without being sent into the bottom three throughout the season. Immediately after winning DSDS, Klaws was signed to a record deal with SonyBMG, while jury member Dieter Bohlen was consulted to produce his debut album on the company. On 17 March 2003 his debut single, "Take Me Tonight" was released. The song was performed by Klaws during the season finale of DSDS. The song subsequently debuted at number 1 in Germany and Switzerland. It eventually went on to become the second best-selling single of 2002 behind "We Have a Dream" and was certified quintuple gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). In May he followed-up with his debut album Take Your Chance, which saw similar success and spawned a second single "Stay with Me". At the end of a year he entered the top of the charts again with "Free Like the Wind", the soundtrack to the German TV movie Held der Gladiatoren.
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