Bill Kaulitz
Encyclopedia
Bill Kaulitz is a German
singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel
.
, German Democratic Republic
.He has an identical twin brother, Tom, who is older by ten minutes. His parents, Simone and Jörg Kaulitz, separated when Kaulitz and his brother were seven years old. Simone married Gordon Trümper, the guitarist from the German rock band Fatun on 1 August 2009, after dating for 12 years.
Kaulitz showed an early interest in singing, as did Tom in playing guitar. Trümper noticed the twins' musical inclinations, and helped the twins to start their own band. According to Kaulitz in several interviews, he and Tom started writing music at the age of seven years old.
, near their hometown of Loitsche, under the pseudonym Black Question Mark. They played small shows and while their audiences enjoyed them, they were largely unknown. The band lacked a drummer and bass player and the twins relied on a keyboard to fill in other instrumental sounds.
The year the brothers turned twelve, they met Georg Listing (then 14) and Gustav Schäfer (then 13), in the audience of one of their shows. Listing and Schäfer were friends and after the show, having liked what they heard and saw, made an offer to join. The band was promptly re-named "Devilish" due to an article published at the time that referred to their "devilishly great" sound. The four continued to perform, but aside from being featured on a small-time German news program somewhere between late 2002 and early 2003, Devilish were not going anywhere until Kaulitz auditioned on the reality TV talent show "Star Search."
's Interscope Records
and Tokio Hotel was signed. They began working immediately, releasing their debut LP Schrei
("Scream") later that year. Their first single off of Schrei was "Durch den Monsun
" ("Through The Monsoon"), which reached #1 in Germany within a month of its release.
Tokio Hotel launched their debut tour in Germany, to support the release of Schrei and its singles. They toured Germany and also recorded a live DVD. On stage, Kaulitz was noted and well known for his energetic style and harmonizing with the fans (he would frequently let the audience sing verses instead of him).
In 2006, Kaulitz voiced the role of Arthur in the first part of the German version of the film Arthur and the Invisibles
.
Tokio Hotel were a household name in Germany at this point, and this compelled the band to return to the studio. After the success of Schrei, Tokio Hotel began working on their second album, Zimmer 483
(Room 483), released in February 2007. The album spawned three singles initially: "Übers Ende der Welt
" ("Over the End of the World" – released as "Ready, Set, Go!"), "Spring nicht
" ("Don't Jump"), and "An deiner Seite (Ich bin da)" ("By Your Side (I am there)" – released as "By Your Side"). A fourth single, "Heilig" ("Holy" – released as "Sacred"), was released in 2008.
To support the release of Zimmer 483, Tokio Hotel began a continental tour of Europe, spawning another live DVD and a large publicity boost.
. The album was released in Europe in mid-2007 (albeit with the name Room 483, the literal translation of Zimmer 483, to express it's continuity with that album), however it did not reach release in the West until mid-2008.
Scream spawned four singles, including "Scream", "Monsoon" (the translated version of "Durch den Monsun" however the title was not 100% literally translated), "Don't Jump
" (the translated version of "Spring Nicht"), and "Ready, Set, Go!
" (the translated version of "Übers Ende der Welt", again not a literal translation of the title). Scream was moderately successful internationally, and to support the release, Tokio Hotel left Europe for the first time in their careers, and flew to the United States.
In February 2008 Tokio Hotel first set foot in North America to play five shows, starting in Canada and ending in New York. Tokio Hotel were the first German act since Nena to gain success internationally, and maintain their status. The U.S. tour was a success, but when they went back to Europe for their 1000 Hotels Tour, disaster struck.
, Belgium
, on 3 March 2008, and was set to continue through the Netherlands
, Luxembourg
, France
, Spain
, Portugal
, Italy
, and Scandinavia
, ending on the 9 April. However eleven days after the start of the tour, on 14 March, Kaulitz began to experience voice problems in the middle of a show in Marseilles, France. He let the audience sing more often and the band cut their set down from twenty-one to sixteen songs.
Two days after the incident in France, Tokio Hotel cancelled a show in Lisbon
, Portugal moments before it was to commence. The band, with the exception of Kaulitz, came on the stage and apologized for the show being cancelled. They explained that Kaulitz was sick and was being flown back to Germany to see a specialist: he had played forty-three shows without a break and had developed an untreated throat infection. The infection caused a cyst to develop on the singer's vocal chords that had to be removed via larynx surgery on 30 March. Kaulitz was unable to speak for ten days afterwards and had to undergo speech therapy for one month.
By May 2008 Kaulitz had sufficiently recovered and Tokio Hotel rescheduled the 1000 Hotels Tour dates, adding several open air concerts. The tour concluded on 13 July 2008 in Werchter
, Belgium and, despite the surgery and time taken off, was deemed a success.
(Arthur And The Invisibles) sequel. In 2010, Kaulitz and Tokio Hotel teamed up with Kerli to record the song Strange for the film Alice In Wonderland
and accompanying Almost Alice
soundtrack.
Kaulitz, alongside his brother, Tom, modeled for a PETA.de photoshoot, protesting the use of animals as a source of entertainment.
He also modeled for Dsquared in early 2010, making his debut as a model.
, which was a much more techno-oriented release and a new sound. Humanoid was released on October 6, 2009, and just short of a month later Tokio Hotel picked up the "Best Group" award at the EMAs in Berlin on November 5. Humanoid has so far spawned two singles, "Automatic
"/"Automatisch
", released in September 2009, and "World Behind My Wall"/"Lass uns laufen" (meaning "Let Us Run"), to be released in January 2010.
Tokio Hotel
but recently moved to Los Angeles
in response to an incident involving stalkers and a robbery. They have also stated that it is easier for them to create their new album, as it is closer to their manager David Jost. They are currently living in Los Angeles
but also have a second home in Hamburg
.
Bill is vegetarian and has been involved in campaigning for PETA
.
—particularly in the 1986 film Labyrinth
—Nena
, Vampires, Paris secondhand shops, striking jewelry and Dior
Homme. He also cites Steven Tyler
, Karl Lagerfeld
and Hedi Slimane
.
In August 2008, Kaulitz was chosen as the most attractive singer on stage by the readers of the Spanish magazine ¡Hola!
. He was also immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussauds
museum in Berlin on September 30, 2008. Kaulitz was 19 when the likeness was made, making him the youngest person to be duplicated by the Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin
. In December 2008, Bill Kaulitz was named "Man of the Year #6" by MTV
News.
In September 2009, Kaulitz was chosen by fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld
to take part in a photo shoot for the 30th birthday of Vogue
in Germany. Karl Lagerfeld
described him as "The Other Idea of a German" and wrote that the 20-year-old singer with the unusual styling became a superstar; and a fashion icon.
While in October 2009, Kaulitz was number 11 on German magazine GQ's Best Dressed list. They cite his flamboyant style as one of the reasons he was chosen, as well as his liking to change and try new things. Designer Michael Michalsky supported his decision by saying: "Bill Kaulitz is unique and uncompromising, Pop-Art brought to life. He likes to change – that is fashion." For the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2010 fashion show, Kaulitz opened and closed the show with the song Screamin'.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Germany, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing...
.
Early life (1989–1999)
Bill Kaulitz was born on 1 September 1989 in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.He has an identical twin brother, Tom, who is older by ten minutes. His parents, Simone and Jörg Kaulitz, separated when Kaulitz and his brother were seven years old. Simone married Gordon Trümper, the guitarist from the German rock band Fatun on 1 August 2009, after dating for 12 years.
Kaulitz showed an early interest in singing, as did Tom in playing guitar. Trümper noticed the twins' musical inclinations, and helped the twins to start their own band. According to Kaulitz in several interviews, he and Tom started writing music at the age of seven years old.
Early musical career (1999–2003)
At the age of ten the brothers began performing live in MagdeburgMagdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, near their hometown of Loitsche, under the pseudonym Black Question Mark. They played small shows and while their audiences enjoyed them, they were largely unknown. The band lacked a drummer and bass player and the twins relied on a keyboard to fill in other instrumental sounds.
The year the brothers turned twelve, they met Georg Listing (then 14) and Gustav Schäfer (then 13), in the audience of one of their shows. Listing and Schäfer were friends and after the show, having liked what they heard and saw, made an offer to join. The band was promptly re-named "Devilish" due to an article published at the time that referred to their "devilishly great" sound. The four continued to perform, but aside from being featured on a small-time German news program somewhere between late 2002 and early 2003, Devilish were not going anywhere until Kaulitz auditioned on the reality TV talent show "Star Search."
First releases
This continued until 2005 when Jost arranged a meeting between the band and Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
's Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and Tokio Hotel was signed. They began working immediately, releasing their debut LP Schrei
Schrei
Schrei is the debut album by the German band Tokio Hotel. In 2006, they released a partly re-recorded and expanded version, Schrei - so laut du kannst. The album was only released in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and Japan...
("Scream") later that year. Their first single off of Schrei was "Durch den Monsun
Durch den Monsun
"Durch den Monsun" and "Monsoon" are songs by German rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song "Durch den Monsun" was released as their debut single in 2005 from their debut album Schrei...
" ("Through The Monsoon"), which reached #1 in Germany within a month of its release.
First tour and growing success
In 2006, Kaulitz voiced the role of Arthur in the first part of the German version of the film Arthur and the Invisibles
Arthur and the Invisibles
Arthur and the Invisibles is a French/American part-animated, part-live action feature film adaptation of the 2002 children's book Arthur et les minimoys / Arthur and the Minimoys, and the 2003 sequel Arthur et la cité interdite /...
.
Tokio Hotel were a household name in Germany at this point, and this compelled the band to return to the studio. After the success of Schrei, Tokio Hotel began working on their second album, Zimmer 483
Zimmer 483
Zimmer 483 is the second album by the German rock band Tokio Hotel. It was released in Germany on 23 February 2007. The album yielded four singles including "Übers Ende der Welt", "Spring nicht" and "An deiner Seite "...
(Room 483), released in February 2007. The album spawned three singles initially: "Übers Ende der Welt
Übers Ende der Welt
"Übers Ende der Welt" and "Ready, Set, Go!" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Übers Ende der Welt", was released as the first single from their second album Zimmer 483 and it is the album's opening track.The song was later translated into...
" ("Over the End of the World" – released as "Ready, Set, Go!"), "Spring nicht
Spring nicht
"Spring nicht" and "Don't Jump" are songs by German pop rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Spring nicht", was released as the second single from their second album Zimmer 483....
" ("Don't Jump"), and "An deiner Seite (Ich bin da)" ("By Your Side (I am there)" – released as "By Your Side"). A fourth single, "Heilig" ("Holy" – released as "Sacred"), was released in 2008.
To support the release of Zimmer 483, Tokio Hotel began a continental tour of Europe, spawning another live DVD and a large publicity boost.
International breakthrough (2007–2008)
As Tokio Hotel's fanbase increased in the Western part of the world, Kaulitz and the band decided to re-record select songs from both Schrei and Zimmer 483 for a new English-language LP so that fans around the world could understand the band's songs. The result of these re-recorded songs was Tokio Hotel's debut English album, titled ScreamScream (Tokio Hotel album)
*Best Buy has an exclusive DVD with a behind the scenes look at their U.S. concert shows and three live videos .-Singles Chronology:Europe * Monsoon...
. The album was released in Europe in mid-2007 (albeit with the name Room 483, the literal translation of Zimmer 483, to express it's continuity with that album), however it did not reach release in the West until mid-2008.
Scream spawned four singles, including "Scream", "Monsoon" (the translated version of "Durch den Monsun" however the title was not 100% literally translated), "Don't Jump
Spring nicht
"Spring nicht" and "Don't Jump" are songs by German pop rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Spring nicht", was released as the second single from their second album Zimmer 483....
" (the translated version of "Spring Nicht"), and "Ready, Set, Go!
Übers Ende der Welt
"Übers Ende der Welt" and "Ready, Set, Go!" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Übers Ende der Welt", was released as the first single from their second album Zimmer 483 and it is the album's opening track.The song was later translated into...
" (the translated version of "Übers Ende der Welt", again not a literal translation of the title). Scream was moderately successful internationally, and to support the release, Tokio Hotel left Europe for the first time in their careers, and flew to the United States.
In February 2008 Tokio Hotel first set foot in North America to play five shows, starting in Canada and ending in New York. Tokio Hotel were the first German act since Nena to gain success internationally, and maintain their status. The U.S. tour was a success, but when they went back to Europe for their 1000 Hotels Tour, disaster struck.
1000 hotels tour and medical complications
The 1000 Hotels Tour began in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on 3 March 2008, and was set to continue through the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, ending on the 9 April. However eleven days after the start of the tour, on 14 March, Kaulitz began to experience voice problems in the middle of a show in Marseilles, France. He let the audience sing more often and the band cut their set down from twenty-one to sixteen songs.
Two days after the incident in France, Tokio Hotel cancelled a show in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal moments before it was to commence. The band, with the exception of Kaulitz, came on the stage and apologized for the show being cancelled. They explained that Kaulitz was sick and was being flown back to Germany to see a specialist: he had played forty-three shows without a break and had developed an untreated throat infection. The infection caused a cyst to develop on the singer's vocal chords that had to be removed via larynx surgery on 30 March. Kaulitz was unable to speak for ten days afterwards and had to undergo speech therapy for one month.
By May 2008 Kaulitz had sufficiently recovered and Tokio Hotel rescheduled the 1000 Hotels Tour dates, adding several open air concerts. The tour concluded on 13 July 2008 in Werchter
Werchter
Werchter is a small village in Belgium, belonging to the municipality of Rotselaar. It is site of the festival Rock Werchter. The origin of the place name is unknown but it's thought to be a watername.It is the birthplace of painter Cornelius Van Leemputten....
, Belgium and, despite the surgery and time taken off, was deemed a success.
Stalking incident
More trouble came for Kaulitz when in late 2008/early 2009 several female stalkers pursued the band relentlessly, even following his twin brother Tom Kaulitz to his parents' home in Germany and attacked the twins' mother. The issue seemed to end after his twin brother Tom allegedly hit one of the stalkers at a gas station in April 2009 and drove off. However, a recent article in Bild stated that the issue had resurfaced and that Tom Kaulitz may stand trial for assault. In late December 2009, the charges against Tom were lifted and he is pressing charges himself — against the girl he allegedly hit — on grounds of stalking.Other work
In 2009, he reprised the role of the German voice of Arthur again for the Arthur und die MinimoysArthur and the Invisibles
Arthur and the Invisibles is a French/American part-animated, part-live action feature film adaptation of the 2002 children's book Arthur et les minimoys / Arthur and the Minimoys, and the 2003 sequel Arthur et la cité interdite /...
(Arthur And The Invisibles) sequel. In 2010, Kaulitz and Tokio Hotel teamed up with Kerli to record the song Strange for the film Alice In Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
and accompanying Almost Alice
Almost Alice
-Charts:-References:...
soundtrack.
Kaulitz, alongside his brother, Tom, modeled for a PETA.de photoshoot, protesting the use of animals as a source of entertainment.
He also modeled for Dsquared in early 2010, making his debut as a model.
Humanoid
Over 2008 and 2009, Tokio Hotel returned to the recording studio to record their second English album and third German album. The result was HumanoidHumanoid (album)
Humanoid is the third German studio album and the second English studio album by German band Tokio Hotel. Released through Universal Domestic Pop, Island Records and Cherrytree Records, the album was recorded in both German and English with both versions set for a simultaneous worldwide release...
, which was a much more techno-oriented release and a new sound. Humanoid was released on October 6, 2009, and just short of a month later Tokio Hotel picked up the "Best Group" award at the EMAs in Berlin on November 5. Humanoid has so far spawned two singles, "Automatic
Automatisch
"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
"/"Automatisch
Automatisch
"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
", released in September 2009, and "World Behind My Wall"/"Lass uns laufen" (meaning "Let Us Run"), to be released in January 2010.
Discography
DevilishTokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Germany, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing...
- Devilish (self-released, 2001)
Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Germany, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing...
- SchreiSchreiSchrei is the debut album by the German band Tokio Hotel. In 2006, they released a partly re-recorded and expanded version, Schrei - so laut du kannst. The album was only released in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and Japan...
(Island Records/Universal Music, 2005) - Zimmer 483Zimmer 483Zimmer 483 is the second album by the German rock band Tokio Hotel. It was released in Germany on 23 February 2007. The album yielded four singles including "Übers Ende der Welt", "Spring nicht" and "An deiner Seite "...
(Island/Universal, 2007) - HumanoidHumanoid (album)Humanoid is the third German studio album and the second English studio album by German band Tokio Hotel. Released through Universal Domestic Pop, Island Records and Cherrytree Records, the album was recorded in both German and English with both versions set for a simultaneous worldwide release...
(Island/Universal, Stunner Records [INTL] CherryTree Records, Interscope RecordsInterscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
[USA], 2009)
Personal life
Bill Kaulitz and his identical twin brother, Tom, used to live in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
but recently moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in response to an incident involving stalkers and a robbery. They have also stated that it is easier for them to create their new album, as it is closer to their manager David Jost. They are currently living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
but also have a second home in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Bill is vegetarian and has been involved in campaigning for PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
.
Public image
German site www.dw-world.com says that his look, young age and edgy hairstyle has helped him obtain icon status among many teenage girls. Kaulitz designs many of his own stage costumes, and despite poor drawing skills, the designs are constructed by his tailor. The singer apparently collects suspenders, and is also "totally crazy about jackets". Kaulitz reports he has hundreds of jackets in his closet – though he has said that none of his jackets are real leather as he is opposed to using animal pelts/feathers for clothing. He cites his fashion and style influences as David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
—particularly in the 1986 film Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
—Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
, Vampires, Paris secondhand shops, striking jewelry and Dior
Dior
Dior can mean:* Christian Dior SA, a French clothing retailer* In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium:**Dior Eluchíl, a Half-elven of the First Age**Dior , a Steward of GondorDior is a surname, and may refer to:...
Homme. He also cites Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
, Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
and Hedi Slimane
Hedi Slimane
Hedi Slimane is a French fashion designer of Tunisian, Italian-Brazilian origins. He studied political sciences , and Art History at the École du Louvre, and was also educated as a tailor...
.
In August 2008, Kaulitz was chosen as the most attractive singer on stage by the readers of the Spanish magazine ¡Hola!
¡Hola!
¡Hola! is a weekly Spanish-language magazine specializing in celebrity news, published in Spain and 13 other countries. It also has local editions in Brazil, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Peru, Britain, Russia and Argentina. It is the second most popular magazine in Spain, after the Pronto, the most sold...
. He was also immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
museum in Berlin on September 30, 2008. Kaulitz was 19 when the likeness was made, making him the youngest person to be duplicated by the Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In December 2008, Bill Kaulitz was named "Man of the Year #6" by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
News.
In September 2009, Kaulitz was chosen by fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
to take part in a photo shoot for the 30th birthday of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
in Germany. Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
described him as "The Other Idea of a German" and wrote that the 20-year-old singer with the unusual styling became a superstar; and a fashion icon.
While in October 2009, Kaulitz was number 11 on German magazine GQ's Best Dressed list. They cite his flamboyant style as one of the reasons he was chosen, as well as his liking to change and try new things. Designer Michael Michalsky supported his decision by saying: "Bill Kaulitz is unique and uncompromising, Pop-Art brought to life. He likes to change – that is fashion." For the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2010 fashion show, Kaulitz opened and closed the show with the song Screamin'.