Klaus Nomi - Definition and Overview

Klaus Nomi (born Klaus Sperber) (January 24, 1944 - August 6, 1983) was a German counter-tenor and baritone singer and performer, noted for his remarkable vocal performances and unusual stage persona. He died of AIDS-related illness in 1983, one of the first celebrities to die of this disease.

Nomi moved from Germany to New York City in the mid-1970s, where David Bowie saw his nightclub act and hired him as a backup singer. Nomi and Joey Arias famously performed with Bowie on an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1979. Nomi also collaborated with Manny Parrish.

Nomi is remembered for his bizarrely theatrical live performances, sporting heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and highly-stylized hairdos. His songs were just as unusual, ranging from synthesizer-laden interpretations of classic opera to covers of songs like Chubby Checker's The Twist.

He is now the subject of a biopic, The Nomi Song.

External links

• http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/nomi.html
• http://www.psychotica.net/evb/nomi/
• http://nomi4ever.tripod.com/Nomisong/
• Some pictures of Nomi and his friends (http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/1306/nomi.htm)
• Discography (http://www.psychotica.net/evb/nomi/disc.html)
• More reminiscences of Klaus Nomi (http://home.neo.rr.com/catbar/the_shrine/unsung.htm#Klaus_Nomi)
• A collection of texts about Klaus Nomi (http://members.madasafish.com/~tropicalmonkey/blatt/nomi.htm)
• An animated tribute to Klaus Nomi (http://unosunosyunosceros.com/tRibuTO/Nomi.swf) (Shockwave Flash format)
• The Nomi Song (http://www.thenomisong.com/), a feature film devoted to the life of Klaus Nomi