Date: 12 November 2007
Originally published in: De Oosterpoort & De Stadsschouwburg Groningen - De agenda (Netherlands)
Written by:
Kim Wilde scored hits like they came from the assembly line in the early eighties: ‘Cambodia’, ‘Kids in America’, ‘View From A Bridge’, ‘Chequered Love’ and ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’. She was a femme fatale who appealed to many boys in their puberty. At the same time, she was was a bit of a girl next door, contrary to for instance Madonna. Tonight the blonde pop-diva from the eighties comes to Groningen during her ‘Perfect Girl Tour’.
In England they call her the Queen of Pop. Not so strange when you think that Wilde has sold more albums than any other British solo artist to this day. Over 10 million cd’s and 20 million singles – of which 14 number one hits – changed hands. After years of success Wilde steps back from the limelight in 1996. She marries, has two children and devotes herself completely to… horticulture. Until the German singer Nena, another eighties icon, asks her to record a song in 2003: ‘Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime’ becomes a hit all over Europe, after which Wilde comes back to music. In 2006 a new album is released, ‘Never Say Never’, with a mix of classics in a new arrangement and surprising new songs. In February she stood in a sold out Paradiso, Bospop went crazy this summer, and now it’s the turn of De Oosterpoort.
Gardening with Kim…
World stars have their hobby’s. After Kim Wilde stopped her pop career in 1996, she studies horticulture for four years. And successfully! One of her gardens wins a gold medal on the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show. Wilde also presents gardening programmes on Channel 4 and the BBC and she writes two gardening books, like ‘Gardening with children’, which is also available in the Netherlands.
