Nena Net Worth

What is Nena's Net Worth?

Nena is a German singer and actress who has a net worth of $10 million. Nena rose to international stardom in the 1980s as the lead vocalist of her eponymous band, which released the global hit song "99 Luftballons." She has also had success as a solo artist in the 21st century, particularly in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Early Life and Education

Nena, whose real name is Gabriele Kerner, was born on March 24, 1960 in Hagen, West Germany as the first of three siblings. She adopted the sobriquet Nena in reference to the Spanish word "niña," which she picked up while on vacation in Spain with her parents. After leaving high school in 1977, she trained as a goldsmith for three years.

The Stripes

Nena began her music career in 1979 as the lead singer of the German pop group the Stripes. Based in her hometown of Hagen, the band performed songs in English and released five singles and one studio album before dissolving in early 1982.

Nena

After the disbanding of the Stripes in 1982, the band's record label CBS offered Nena a record deal on the condition she would move to Berlin and sing German songs. She accepted the offer, and moved to West Berlin with her then-boyfriend Rolf Brendel. The pair subsequently met guitarist Carlo Karges, bassist Jürgen Dehmel, and keyboard player Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, with whom they formed the band Nena. The band became an overnight sensation after performing its debut single "Nur geträumt" on the German television program "Der Musikladen" in August of 1982. The song was included on Nena's self-titled debut album, which came out in early 1983.

It was the second single on Nena's debut album, "99 Luftballons," that propelled the band to international success. The song reached number one in numerous countries between 1983 and 1984 and peaked at number two in the United States. Nena also recorded an English-language version of the song, which became a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and Canada. The band went on to release its second album, "?," in 1984; it reached number one in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. That was followed in 1985 by "Feuer und Flamme," a hit mostly in Germany and Switzerland. Nena released its fourth and final studio album, "Eisbrecher," in late 1986. It was a commercial disappointment, leading to the discontinuation of the band in 1987.

Solo Music Career

In late 1989, Nena launched her solo career with her album "Wunder gescheh'n," which had moderate success. The next decade, she released the albums "Bongo Girl" (1992), "Und alles dreht sich" (1994), "Jamma nich" (1997), and "Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt was nich" (1998), none of which were particularly successful. Also during the 1990s, she began releasing children's albums. Nena had a slightly bigger hit with her first album of the 21st century, "Chokmah," which peaked at number 18 in Germany in 2001. This augured her comeback in 2002, when her album "Nena feat. Nena" went to number two in Germany and number one in Austria. Comprised of new versions of her former band's hit songs, the album included an English-German duet of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" with Kim Wilde, which reached number one in Austria and the Netherlands.

Nena continued her newfound success with her 2005 album "Willst du mit mir gehn," consisting of all-new material. It peaked at number two in Germany and spawned the number-one hit single "Liebe ist." Nena returned to cover songs with her 2007 album "Cover Me," which included versions of songs by David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and Rammstein, among other artists. At the end of the decade, she established her own record label and released the album "Made in Germany," another hit in her home country. Nena remained popular in Germany in the 2010s, with her albums "Du bist gut" (2012) and "Oldschool" (2015) both peaking in the top five. After over five years of focusing on live albums and some collaborations with other artists, Nena released her 13th solo studio album, "Licht," in 2020. Like most of her previous albums in the 21st century, it peaked inside the top five in Germany.

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Acting Career

As an actress, Nena made her film debut in the 1983 musical comedy "Gib Gas – Ich will Spass," playing the main character Tina. She starred opposite fellow singer Markus Mörl. Nena went on to have a supporting role in the 1987 comedy "Der Unsichtbare." She didn't act much in the years immediately after that. In the 21st century, Nena turned to voice acting, lending her voice to the German dubs of such films as "Eragon" and "Arthur and the Minimoys."

Television Appearances

On television, Nena hosted a number of music programs in the 1990s. In the 21st century, she has served as a coach on the television reality talent shows "Dein Song" and "The Voice of Germany." Nena also competed on "Sing meinen Song," and appeared as a juror on the fifth and sixth seasons of "The Voice Kids" along with her daughter Larissa.

Other Endeavors

In 2007, Nena co-founded the private Sudbury school Neue Schule Hamburg in Rahlstedt. Elsewhere, she has been involved in various charity ensembles, raising funds for flood victims and supporting local causes. Among her other endeavors, Nena co-authored an autobiographical book, "Willst du mit mir gehn," with journalist Claudia Thesenfitz.

Personal Life

Nena previously dated her band's drummer Rolf Brendel. After him, she dated Swiss actor Benedict Freitag, with whom she had three children: Christopher and twins Larissa and Sakias. Christopher was born disabled due to alleged medical errors, and he passed away just before his first birthday. Following her breakup with Freitag, Nena began dating drummer and music producer Philipp Palm. The couple had their first child, Samuel, in 1995, and their second, Simeon, in 1997. Nena also has four grandchildren.

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