Date: 18 November 2020
Originally published in: Stuttgarter Nachrichten (Germany)
Written by:
Pop singer Kim Wilde is celebrating her 60th birthday. The 80s icon reveals in an interview how she spends her special day despite the corona crisis and what birthday present she gave herself.
British pop singer Kim Wilde (“Kids In America”) celebrates her 60th birthday on November 18th. In time for this special day, she made herself a present of her own: On Friday (November 13th) she released a deluxe edition of her Christmas album “WildeWinter Songbook” with six bonus songs. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, she revealed what makes the long player so special and how the former 80s icon spends her birthday.
You’re celebrating your 60th birthday. Are you bothered by the number?
Not at all. As Aaliyah once said, “Age is nothing but a number.”
How do you celebrate your birthday?
I’m at home with my beloved family in the second lockdown. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this milestone!
Have your birthday plans changed due to Corona?
Yes, I actually wanted to spend the day by the sea and eat fish and chips on the beach. The sea is calling for me.
Your Wilde Winter Songbook album is like your own birthday present in itself. What makes the album so special?
I’ve always loved Christmas, everything about it. I especially love Christmas Eve. Santa sets off in his sleigh and magic is in the air! “Wilde Winter Songbook” was a work full of love, inspired by Christmas music from all of my life. I have a lot to tell about how I feel, about the good, the bad, happiness and sadness.
Is there a song that is particularly close to your heart?
“Burn Gold: Silent Night”. The song was inspired by a poem my husband Hal wrote and our life together: the spring we meet, the summer of our children, the autumn of life challenges and the winter of regeneration. The song is inspired by the many trees we have planted together and ends with my all-time favorite Christmas song “Silent Night”.
What do you wish for your new year of life?
Covid-19 took so much away, but it also gave us the chance to start all over again. I want all of us to make better decisions about our lives, and especially how these will affect the planet and wildlife.
Is there anything you would like to have done differently in your life?
Life has become more focused and pleasant the older I have gotten. I’ve learned a lesson from every mistake and twist of phrase. The year 2020 will be remembered as a time of change, in which faith, hope and love have taken on a new meaning for me.
What are you proud of in your life?
That I kept my sense of humor.
You are considered a pop icon of the 80s. How do you look back on that time?
I love to be called an icon of the 80s. It’s been an incredible and diverse decade. I think people appreciate the 80s even more now than they did then.
You have been on stage for over 40 years. Have you ever thought about quitting?
Many times in the past and then I did when I got married and had kids. Nowadays I can’t wait to get back on stage with my band. I plan to do the same for next year as soon as it is safe enough again.
You will also come to Germany next year with your “Greatest Hits Tour”. What connection do you have with your German fans?
Since the beginning of my career I have traveled to Germany, appeared in “Bravo” magazine and appeared on the TV show “Musikladen”. I have fabulous memories of your beautiful country and I miss you all terribly.
In 2021 Kim Wilde is planning a “Greatest Hits Tour”, which she will also take to Germany in the fall. It will be held in Mannheim (September 30), Stuttgart (October 1), Munich (October 2), Saarbrücken (October 5), Cologne (October 6), Hanover (October 7), Leipzig (October 9) October), Hamburg (October 10), Berlin (October 13) and Rostock (October 14).
