Klaus Nomi (born Klaus Sperber) (January 24, 1944 - August 6, 1983) was a German counter-tenor and baritone singer and performer, noted for his remarkable vocal performances and unusual stage persona. He died of AIDS-related illness in 1983, one of the first celebrities to die of this disease.

Nomi moved from Germany to New York City in the mid-1970s. After a chance meeting in a nightclub, David Bowie hired him and Joey Arias as back-up singers for a performance on Saturday Night Live in 1979. Nomi also collaborated with Manny Parrish .

Nomi is remembered for his bizarrely theatrical live performances, sporting heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and highly-stylized hairdos. His songs were just as unusual, ranging from synthesizer-laden interpretations of classic opera to covers of songs like Chubby Checker's The Twist.

He is now the subject of a biopic, The Nomi Song.

External links

• http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/nomi.html
• http://www.psychotica.net/evb/nomi/
• http://nomi4ever.tripod.com/Nomisong/
• Some pictures of Nomi and his friends
• Blog entry detailing Nomi's life and Internet resources
• Discography
• More reminiscences of Klaus Nomi
• A collection of texts about Klaus Nomi
• An animated tribute to Klaus Nomi (Shockwave Flash format)
• The Nomi Song, a feature film devoted to the life of Klaus Nomi