Biography
Who is Haddaway?
Early life and education
Nestor Alexander Haddaway was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to a German father and a Trinidadian mother. His parents separated during the early years of his childhood, leading him to live in both Europe and America. He spent time growing up in Chicago before moving to the Washington, District of Columbia metropolitan area when he was nine years old. During his youth, listening to Louis Armstrong inspired him to learn how to play the trumpet at age fourteen.
He attended Meade Senior High School located in Fort Meade, Maryland. While there, he joined the marching band, an experience that eventually led him to form his very first musical group named Chances. In 1987, he enrolled in medical school, but he ultimately decided to quit due to a lack of excitement. Following this choice, he relocated to Cologne, West Germany, where he spent time working in local taverns and later established a company called Energy that organized fashion shows and photo shoots.
Rise to fame and hit songs
In 1992, the German record company Coconut Records signed Haddaway as an artist. His debut single, What Is Love, quickly became a big hit across Europe. The track reached number two in both Germany and the United Kingdom, while also climbing to number eleven on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart. By early 1994, worldwide sales of the single reached 2.6 million copies, establishing him as a major force in electronic dance music.
He followed this initial success with additional popular singles such as Life, I Miss You, and Rock My Heart, all of which landed in the European top ten. His debut studio album, titled The Album and released in 1993, earned a platinum certification in Germany. His second album, The Drive, arrived in 1995 and featured the United Kingdom top twenty hit Fly Away, cementing his status in the Eurodance genre.
Later career and media appearances
The popularity of What Is Love expanded further when it was featured as the theme music for the Butabi brothers sketches on Saturday Night Live. This exposure carried over to the big screen in the 1998 comedy film A Night at the Roxbury. Although several of his late nineties and early two thousands albums failed to chart, he continued performing and appeared on various television talent shows, including the German program Comeback, Die große Chance and different international versions of Hit Me, Baby, One More Time.
He later collaborated with fellow Eurodance performer Dr. Alban on the 2008 single I Love the 90's. His music also found new audiences through high profile samples and remixes by other artists, including a remix by German DJ Klaas and a prominent sample in Eminem's single No Love. In 2024, he released the single Lift Your Head Up from his studio album The Sun.
Personal life and sports
Haddaway maintains residences in Kitzbühel, Austria, and Cologne, Germany. In 2011, he noted that a large portion of his concert performances take place in eastern regions, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Siberia. Outside of his music career, he became involved in sports as a player and sponsor for the baseball team Kufstein Wolfins beginning in 2019. The team achieved regional championship victories in both 2019 and 2020.
Birthday and age
Haddaway was born on January 9, 1965, which makes Haddaway 61 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Haddaway shares the date with 42 other famous people.
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