Kim Wilde: “My crib was in my dad’s dressing room”

She has blue, very cheeky eyes, that look critically into the world, a fuzzy blonde hairdo and a voice that attracts many, many people. All this and the big hits she’s had in a short time, such as ‘Kids in America’, ‘Cambodia’ and ‘View from a bridge’ make the English Kim Wilde (21) a very special girl. Her photos can be found on the walls of many teenagers’ rooms, and the marriage proposals she’s had recently can’t be counted. Kim Wilde’s star is obviously rising.

With all this she treads into the footsteps of her father, Marty Wilde, who was a famous singer some 20 years ago. So you see, the apple never falls too far from the tree. But never say that in front of Kim, because then she becomes ‘wild’ of exasperation. Kim: “I didn’t roll into the music world because of my father. Of course my crib was almost literally in his dressing room, but I can’t remember anything about that. I can’t remember anything about his fame either. I was too young at the time. Even if my dad had been a trash collector, I would still have wanted to sing.”

But whether Kim would have reached the top of the charts without her dad’s helping hand is still a question. The Wilde family is especially musical anyway. Dad who’s stopped singing some time ago, now writes the lyrics of Kim’s songs. Brother Ricky makes the music and mother Joyce sings backing vocals now and again.

Did you notice how rarely Kim smiles on photographs? No? Well she doesn’t and it’s not because she’s angry all the time. Kim: “At home I laugh a lot, but for the photographers I prefer to look serious because it gives me a mysterious look. There’s not a lot to laugh about during photo sessions anyway.”

Despite all that Kim can’t complain. She says: “I had a wonderful childhood and I’m looking towards a fantastic future. Who could have thought this while I was in school and had trouble finding a nice boyfriend, while my friends had ten on every finger?”

Instead of ‘just’ ten boys on every finger, Kim now has all of Europe at her feet. And if you think she’s satisfied, you’re mistaken. “No”, says Kim (and she’s even laughing now) “the rest of the world will follow.”