About Klaus Nomi
Klaus Sperber (24 January 1944 – 6 August 1983), known professionally as Klaus Nomi, was a German countertenor and baritone noted for his wide vocal range and an unusual, otherworldly stage persona. In the 1970s, Nomi immersed himself in the East Village No Wave art scene. He was known for his bizarre and visionary theatrical live performances, heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and a highly stylized signature hairdo that flaunted a receding hairline. His songs were equally unusual, ranging from synthesizer-laden interpretations of classical opera to post-punk covers of 1960s pop standards like Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and Lou Christie's "Lightnin' Strikes". Nomi was one of David Bowie's backing singers for a 1979 performance on Saturday Night Live. == Life and career == === Early years === Klaus Nomi was born Klaus Sperber in Immenstadt, Bavaria, on January 24, 1944. He was raised by his single mother, Bettina Sperber, who had fled Essen, Rhine Province, for the Allgäu due to Allied bombing during World War II. His father was a soldier in the German Army with whom Bettina had a brief relationship during his furlough; he died from influenza before Nomi's birth. At age four, he and his mother moved back to the Ruhr, first to Fröndenberg before returning to Essen. Nomi grew up listening to classical music, gaining an interest in opera from listening to soprano Maria Callas over the radio, but also became fascinated with pop rock, buying Elvis Presley records with money he stole from his mother. Inspired by Callas, he developed a six octave vocal range and in the mid-1960s, he moved to West Berlin to study at Berlin University of the Arts, but as the school did not offer countertenor courses at the time, he trained to be a baritone.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.