- Superstar Helene Fischer and the girl next door
Helene Fischer is what one understands by a superstar. She has sold almost 18 million records and even those who can't stand her music have probably heard songs like "Breathless Through the Night" or "Roller Coaster" - at Oktoberfest, in carnival, in a pub, as a film title song, or wherever. And even the German national football team celebrated to her music after winning the World Cup in 2014. A dream career for the pop singer who turns 40 today.
From Siberia to Germany
Fischer was born in 1984 in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. At that time, it was still the Soviet Union, now Russia. Soon after, her family moved to Germany, to the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Wollstein. Even then, Helene loved singing and dancing and trained as a musical actress in Frankfurt am Main.
At the age of almost 20, she got a huge chance: she made her TV debut at the "Wedding Festival of Folk Music" on ARD in 2005. By her side was moderator Florian Silbereisen, with whom she sang "Come with me to Varaždin" in a very romantic way, about roses, love, and happiness.
"I really just held on to him a bit. I was very glad that he was by my side and that we managed it playfully together," she recalled in 2021 in the Vox documentary "15 Years in a Trance" about this performance. Was there already a spark between them at that time?
A few years later, they were together and were considered the dream couple of the pop world for ten years. She is now with acrobat Thomas Seitel and has a daughter.
My Friend Helene
Fischer became famous not only because of the catchy nature of her songs, which quickly become earworms, whether you want them to or not. Her personality also plays a big role. On the one hand, she is flawlessly enchanting and perfect, and on the other, she is down-to-earth and warm-hearted, an ideal projection surface for wishes and longings. Helene, the girl next door, whom you'd like to be friends with.
She sings about things that almost everyone has experienced, as the slager researcher Ingo Grabowsky once put it. Love, longing, sorrow, hopes, wishes - the range of human emotions comes across in her songs. A mix that appeals to people across all generations. "Helene Fischer was at least initially very innocent, like an angel on stage, and was someone that men could admire without making women jealous," Grabowsky said.
On a first-name basis with her fans - no problem for Fischer, as she proved at a concert in Vienna last fall. As seen in a video, a child asks her bluntly: "How's your baby doing?" Fischer looks surprised, laughs, and doesn't miss a beat: "The baby is doing great, it's become a very sweet little thing," she says kindly. And she reveals: "We are very, very happy."
Singing Upside Down
But it's not just Fischer's humanity that makes her so attractive to her fans. It's also her artistic performances that the audience wants to see. Hanging upside down from the ceiling and singing? No problem for the singer. On her "Rausch" tour in 2023, she worked with artists from Cirque du Soleil and swung on the trapeze through the air or hung from a pole, firmly holding the microphone and her body under high tension.
"I'm not reckless", she told RTL TV. "I'm an artist who loves a challenge." It takes hard work - and a few bruises. During acrobatic rehearsals, Fischer broke a rib, and in June 2023, she injured her face with a trapeze bar during a concert in Hannover. The concert was cancelled, but she resumed her tour just two months later. "I'm feeling fantastic," she told her fans.
Top Secret
The downside of her fame: an insatiable interest in her private life. In 2018, Silbereisen described what that feels like when their breakup was made public. "For ten years, the media has speculated weekly about marriage, children, or separation. For years, they haven't hesitated to rummage through our trash to find something private and create a story from it," Silbereisen wrote on social media.
While other celebrities post vacation photos and moments from their lives, Fischer keeps her private life private. Even where and how she celebrates her birthday is unknown. In 2013, the docu "Alone in the Light" offered rare insights, but it's no longer available. Fischer was accompanied by a camera for months, even off-stage.
"The audience always sees the perfect show. Of course, I'm an entertainer on stage and in my role, but privately, I'm someone who doesn't need all the show and glamour," Fischer told the German Press Agency at the time. The public Helene loves makeup, styling, unique clothes, and high heels. "Privately, I like it very minimalistic: I prefer jeans."
Creative Break
The pop star is currently taking a creative break. Fans will have to wait for her next concert series. Her 360-degree stadium tour is scheduled to start in the summer of 2026, with a grand finale on July 17 in the Allianz Arena in Munich.
In her early days, Helene Fischer also performed on stage with another notable figure, moderator Florian Silbereisen. They sang together at the "Wedding Festival of Folk Music" on ARD in 2005. (from 'My Friend Helene')
Despite her fame, Helene Fischer remains private about her personal life, keeping many aspects of it out of the public eye. (from 'Top Secret')
