Tanja Hewer, known by the stage name Michelle, is a German singer. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with the song Wer Liebe lebt, which placed eighth from 23 participating countries with 66 points. Since her debut in 1992 she has won numerous awards, including two Echo awards, two Goldene Stimmgabeln, two Amadeus Austria awards. According to record certifications she has sold at least 4,600,000 CDs.
Career
Michelle has been singing in local amateur bands since age 14. Through a friend who was working at a state broadcast company, she got the chance to perform on German TV in 1993. The popular German singer Kristina Bach recognized Michelle's talent. A little bit later, the songwriter Jean Frankfurter wrote and produced the song Und heut' Nacht will ich tanzen which became a great success and reached the top of the German charts. Michelle got the chance to perform at ZDF-Hitparade, one of Germany's most popular music shows of the time. Her performance made her popular throughout the country. Afterwards she participated in several German pop music festivals, for example the preliminary competitions for the Eurovision Song Contest or the traditional "Deutsches Schlagerfestival". She won the latter in 1997 with her single Wie Flammen im Wind. The album, with the same name, gained her her first TOP 10 success in Germany. The following years marked the heyday of her career, gaining her two more TOP 10 albums, golden records and the chance to represent Germany in 2001's Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. Her 2005 comeback album Leben was another success, reaching TOP 3 in Germany and was awarded another golden record. Afterwards she started a modelling career and in 2006 released My Passion, a cover album of disco classics. In October 2009, she released a new album called Goodbye Michelle and played several concerts and TV shows, explaining she wanted "to give her fans a real farewell". She stated, however, that this was definitely her final album under the name Michelle. The new single from her album Goodbye Michelle will be Nur noch dieses Lied. It's the second single after the song Goodbye Michelle. The third single will be Gefallener Engel in May 2010. In November 2010, she released her new album "Der beste Moment". In March 2012, she released the album "L'amour" including her new hit "Große Liebe".. In March 2014 she released "The Ultimate Best of" album including seven new songs. Her new single hit is "Paris".In Austria was another platinum award. The second single from her album is "Herzstillstand", released July 2014. The 14. Studio album was recorded in April 2016, with her new Single "Wir feiern das Leben". The Album reaching Top 10 in Germany and Austria.
Personal life
Michelle grew up in Blumberg with a sister and a brother in a difficult social background, her parents being violent alcoholics. At the age of 10 she became a foster child. She has three daughters and is living in Köln.
Discography
Studio albums 1993: Erste Sehnsucht GER# 97, 2 We. 1995: Traumtänzerball 1997: Wie Flammen im Wind GER# 77, 5 We. 1998: Nenn es Liebe oder Wahnsinn GER# 24, 11 We., AUT# 12, 25 We. Sales: + 25.000 1999: Denk´an Weihnacht´ GER# 98, 1 We. 2000: So was wie Liebe GER# 8, 19 We., AUT# 5, 26 We., SWI # 60, 3 We. Sales: + 300.000 2002: Rouge GER # 5, 19 We., AUT# 2, 25 We. Sales: + 250.000 2005: Leben! GER# 3, 14 We., AUT# 4, 18 We., SWI# 49, 4 We. Sales: + 115.000 2006: My Passion GER# 21, 3 We., AUT# 26, 3 We. 2006: Glas GER# 12, 6 We., AUT# 9, 10 We. SWI# 53, 4 We. Sales: + 80.000 2009: Goodbye GER# 6, 8 We., AUT# 6, 9 We., SWI# 53, 3 We. Sales: + 10.000 2010: Der beste Moment GER# 27, 2 We., AUT# 17, 8 We. 2012: L'amour GER# 11, 5 We., AUT# 6, 11 We., SWI# 37, 2 We. 2016: Ich würd' es wieder tun GER# 6, 21 We., AUT# 5, 22 We., SWI# 15, 4 We. 2018: Tabu GER# 4, 25 We., AUT# 3,31 We., SWI# 6, 8 We. Sales: + 100.000 Compilation albums 1999: Meine größten Erfolge 2001: Best of GER# 4, 23 We., AUT# 5, 36 We., SWI# 40, 11 We. Sales: + 490.000 2007: Zwischenspiel GER# 94, 1 We. 2009: The very Best of AUT# 58, 3 We. 2014: Die ultimative Best of GER# 7, 26 We., AUT# 2, 53 We., SWI# 44, 10 We. Sales: + 15.000 Live Album 2015: Die ultimative Best of – Live GER# 18, 11 We., AUT# 9, 18 We., SWI# 54, 1 We. Singles: 1992: Und heut Nacht will ich tanzen GER# 70, 6 We. 1993: Prinz Eisenherz GER# 94,1 We. Erste Sehnsucht GER# 85, 3 We. 1994: Herzklopfen Silbermond und Sternenfeuer GER# 77, 5 We. 1995: Dornröschen ist aufgewacht Traumtänzerball Kopfüber in die Nacht GER# 100, 1 We. 1996: Kleine Seelenfeuer Er nannte Sie "My Baby Jane" 1997: Wie Flammen im Wind GER# 88, 5 We. Du und die, das geht nie Im Auge des Orkans 1998: Kleine Prinzessin Nenn es Liebe oder Wahnsinn Und wir wollten doch mal fliegen 1999: Der letzte Akkord Dein Püppchen tanzt nicht mehr 2000: So was wie Liebe Wirst Du noch da sein? Kinderaugen 2001: Wer Liebe lebt GER# 32, 13 We. Ich schicke Dir jetzt einen Engel GER# 84, 4 We. 2002: Das Hotel in St. Germain Idiot, feat. Matthias Reim GER# 34, 17 We, AUT# 57, 6 We. Sales: + 250.000 2003: Hast du Lust? 2005: Fliegen GER# 49,7 We. Vielleicht nur einmal im Leben GER# 87, 1 We. Sag es noch einmal 2006: Grösser als wir 2007: Hallo Tanja Willst du mich für immer? 2009: Goodbye AUT# 75,1 We. 2010: Nur noch dieses Lied Gefallener Engel Manege frei für mein Gefühl 2011: Der beste Moment Idiot,feat. Matthias Reim 2012: Große Liebe AUT# 57,1 We. Straße der Sehnsucht Was wenn mein Herz sich irrt? 2014: Paris GER# 80,1 We., AUT# 56,1 We. Herzstillstand 30.000 Grad BEL# 55,4 We. 2016: Wir feiern das Leben So schön ist die Zeit 2017: Träume haben Flügel 2018: In 80 Küssen um die Welt Nicht verdient, feat. Matthias Reim GER# 94, 1 We. SWI# 77, 2 We.
