Everyone in Germany probably knows his greatest triumph. “Damn, I Love You” stayed at the top of the charts for 16 weeks in 1990 and sold 2.5 million copies worldwide. Matthias Reim (66) became a superstar overnight. But the side effects of the sudden Warriors were even more dramatic.
20 million euros in debt, personal bankruptcy, turmoil in private life. The singer has seven children, pop singer Christin Stark is his fourth wife. In 2015 his life was in danger due to inflammation in the heart muscle. Reim has gone up and up professionally and privately.
Matthias Reim is giving a solo concert for the first time in Cologne‘s Lanxess Arena
According to his own information, he has released more than 20 albums and 750 songs. He sings about his wild life on his new album “Zeppelin”. A song says: “I was at the bottom – deep under the radar. Love, shipwreck, rock ‘n’ roll, tears, sweat and happiness. “A few scars remained.”
But the rhyme cult is getting bigger and bigger every year. An extensive tour began in May with over 40 performances. He will give one of them on December 27, 2024 in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. EXPRESS.de met a singer there who talks openly about the side effects of being a star and does not mince his words regarding private matters.
34 years ago, on April 18, 1990, you made your first television appearance on Wim Thoelke in the quiz “Der Große Preis”…
Mattias Reim: What happened next was unimaginable. I was very embarrassed that people would stand in line for hours signing an autograph to be signed by a former student. Because of all the hype, I was really scared. It’s crazy that the song (“Damn, I love you”, editor) changes my life in a way.
The crash came after the meteoric rise.
Mattias Reim: At the beginning of my career I was torn apart in the press after a concert in Cologne. “Wiggles around the stage like a third-rate Elvis impersonator from Bergisch Gladbach” he said. After that there was a time when I was completely under the radar, when no one noticed me anymore. I played my way through the province and had nothing left to lose. But then development began. Over the last few years I have regained my audience step by step. I don’t make stupid, stupid hits, I think about something in my songs and I sing about things from my life.
Copyright: dpa
Matthias Reim (b.) on July 7, 2023 with his son Julian Reim at a concert. The two are going on tour together again this year.
Are you happy with your life right now?
Mattias Reim: This second career feels good, has grown and is stable. This is not an air trail, no wonder. Thanks to loyal viewers who have come back in thousands and appreciate my songs and stories, I am very happy. Roland Kaiser also had great difficulties, and not only in terms of his health. Meanwhile, no one wanted to hear it anymore. I have huge respect for him. I look forward to the years to come. I definitely believe I can have another 30 years. Well, let’s say 15 years…
Her father Georg Friedrich died in 2023. In the song “Raidió” you sing the lines “I’m watching your last move” about him.
Mattias Reim: He actually had a portable radio. It was on his bedroom window so we can get Radio Luxembourg into the 60s. This was the only station where you could listen to pop music. This music fascinated me and the virus entered me.
Copyright: Marcel Schwamborn
Matthias Reim (r.) spoke to EXPRESS.de report chief Marcel Schwamborn in Cologne about his wild career.
How was your relationship with him?
Mattias Reim: My father felt like he was always there for me and I was his favorite son. We were very similar to him because he was also a child inside. When things weren’t going well for me, he visited me in Ibiza and said to me in a restaurant: “Goodbye, my dear.” The waiter heard this and said, “Isn’t he a little old for you?” She could not believe that he was really my father. That’s what touched us so much.
The album also features “Birthday Song”. Is the song dedicated to your two year old daughter Zoe?
Mattias Reim: No, on my last birthday my wife Christin picked up the phone and played Stevie Wonder “Happy Birthday”. I can’t hear that anymore. That’s where the idea came from to write a simple song for this occasion. I give Zoe an endless amount of time and love. I am completely addicted to her.
Matthias Reim: Baby number eight was definitely conceivable
Maybe children will follow number eight?
Mattias Reim: This is not intended, but it is not rejected either. There is no veto. If it’s meant to be, it will be. I have the right woman, a blended family that works great. My children are 2, 15, 19, 24, 27, 36 and 49, and they all want and need their father. Every morning I look forward to the moment when my little one comes around the corner. I used to be too driven to enjoy it. Everything is so different.
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But your calendar is still full: an appearance at the “Schlagernacht des Jahrs”, your own tour, new songs…
Mattias Reim: But in 2025 I have set aside a seven week block in my calendar in the summer and I will do nothing. We have a vacation home on Lake Como, but we never see it because I’m always on the go.
They have given over 1,500 live concerts. Do you still have stage fright?
Mattias Reim: And how. I have my rituals to get this under control. An hour before the performance I need two beers toned down, or I won’t go on stage. Stage fright is about respect for the audience, combined with fear of failure. I start to feel a little nervous around noon. That’s why I have a teleprompter running on my stage, just to be on the safe side because I really know the lyrics. He stopped working at a show and suddenly I had a blackout.
Many artists only produce single titles. Why are you still bothering to record a 16 song album?
Mattias Reim: My audience still expects to hear a complete package. I’m also a fan of the entire album. I want to have a CD player in my car. That was no longer possible. When it comes to my kids and my wife, the record companies think in terms of individual songs. They also have different listening habits and only pick individual tracks, while I listen to an album in sequence. I still make money from music, not just from touring.
You produced a song with rapper Finch and performed with him at the Parookaville festival. What follows next?
Mattias Reim: Now I’m planning to collaborate with a very well-known metal band. I can not reveal more. But we are working on the first song, I continue to sing in German. That sounds really cool.