Kim Wilde: thus everything began

Although Kim Wilde comes from a musical family, she worked in a glass house during her school days and was she a hardworking cleaner in a hospital.
Kim was born as Kim Smith. Wilde is the artist name of her father, which she took on when she also went into music. Kim was born on 18.11.1960 in Chiswick near London. She has blue-grey eyes and brown hair, which she always colours blonde. Beside her brother Ricky she has two more siblings, Andy and Roxanne.
After a private school in South London she went to Art College in St. Albans. She prefers to paint people in all kinds of situations. But because of the love for music she stopped after a year. No wonder: father Marty was one of the biggest rockstars of the fifties. He was in the charts between 1958 and 1962 with 13 songs. Mother Joyce sang with the Vernons Girls.
In 1972 Kim was on stage for the first time. Her father used her as a backing singer during a tour around Australia and also let her sing alone. After that she performed live in Lewisham and in Luton (England). For the last concert she had to miss a schoolday.
The musical talent has also reached her one year older brother Ricky. He was the first Wilde child to get a record contract in 1973 and became a child star with his own single. Ricky produced her big hits “Kids in America” and “Chequered love” (1981).
At the time the 20 year old Kim presented herself rather seriously. She never laughed because of her image. Her idols were Elvis Costello and Tina Turner. She preferred to wear dark clothes and jeans. Privately Kim was a happy girl, who likes to laugh. Her hobby is cooking. Her favourite instrument is the piano, on whcih she also composes.
The song “Cambodia” (1981) was written for her by her father. He was very interested in politics and world history and shocked by the things that happened in Cambodia.
Kim also worried about war. On her 21st birthday she visited a soldier who had lost a hand during the Falkland war.
In 1982 Kim was chosen the second most beautiful woman in England by the English paper The Sun. A year later she was named the best new female singer.
Her next hit “Love blonde” was written by herself with her brother. Mostly though the song were written by father Marty and borther Ricky. Kim was often frustrated by this and in 1983 she enrolled for a seminar that would help her out psychologically. Besides that Kim always had problems with her weight.
With her single “Dancing in the dark” she started to turn away from her family. She went on tour with a new band and rarely worked together with Ricky anymore. They had cracked themselves.
In 1984 Kim wrote her first song totally on her own: “Fit in”. She also got involved with studio technique and learned how to handle the mixing desk. In her apartment in London she built a 12 track studio. She wrote more songs. Her next song was “Shangri-la”, which would appear on her album “Teases and Dares” (1984). In 1986 she got involved with film for the first time. For the movie “Weird Science” she sang the title song.
In the middle of the eighties she got involved in a few charities. She was most interested in the work of “Friends of the earth” and Greenpeace.
In 1987, after the not so successful album “Another Step” (1986) she moved back to the countryside. She bought a barn in Hertfordshire. In 1988 she was the support act during Michael Jackson’s tour. Kim was always a big fan of Michael, whom she met once during an awards ceremony in London. Also after the tour with Michael Jackson Kim was always on the road. She’d just released her album “Close” (1988).
In 1990 Kim started to paint again, preferably oil paintings. In the next years she argued a lot with love in her life. The albums “Love moves” (1990) and “Love is” (1992) testify to that.
Two years ago the relationship with her big love Calvin Hayes ended. He was the drummer and keyboarder of the popband Johnny Hates Jazz. After that Kim had several boyfriends, also an affair with Julian Lennon. Since 18 months she is together with car salesman Paul Holmes. She is very happy that he’s got nothing to do with the music business. She can really relax with him. But she hates talking about her lovelife in public.
Her favourite country is France. She dreams of living there one day. She would love to look like French actress Catherine Deneuve, whom she admires because of her classic beauty. And she would love to dine with prince Anne.
The songs for her album “Love is” she wrote with Rick Nowels, the man who was responsible for all the big Belinda Carlisle-hits. For the production brother Ricky was on hand once again. Also there: the two musicians who accompanied Elton John for years: Davey Johnstone and Paul Buckmaster.