Vienna, Austria

October 1, 1969

Austrian singer Simone Stelzer, who simply performs as "Simone," was born in Vienna and grew up in Herzogenburg. In 1990, she took part in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Keine Mauern Mehr," which launched her career as a schlager singer and actress. Her debut album, Feuer im Vulkan, was released the same year. Besides appearing in several movies and TV shows (she was a Dancing with the Stars contestant in 2006 and served as a jury member for It's Showtime in 2007), Simone kept a steady release schedule throughout the new millennium, with a new album appearing every one or two years. Her 2009 record Morgenrot, which was produced by David Brandes, reached number five on the Austrian charts and was certified Gold in her home country. Her 2012 album, Pur, fared even better, charting at number three. ~ Christian Genzel