Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde Artistfacts

  • November 18, 1960
  • Kim Wilde is the eldest child of 1950s rock 'n' roller Marty Wilde and Joyce Baker, who was once a member of the 16-piece vocal group the Vernons Girls.
  • She began her music career as a backing vocalist for her father on live dates before getting signed to RAK Records by Mickie Most in 1980.
  • Kim Wilde released her debut single "Kids In America" in January 1981. Her early material was written by brother Ricky and produced by him and her father Marty.
  • In total Kim Wilde has clocked up 14 Top 20 hits in the UK, the most successful being "Kids in America" and her cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On," which both peaked at #2. The latter was also her most successful release in the US, topping the Hot 100 for one week.
  • She holds the record for being the most-charted British solo female act of the 1980s, with 17 UK Top 40 hit singles throughout the decade.
  • Starting in 1998, while still active in music, Kim Wilde branched into an alternative career as a landscape gardener. She has written several books as part of her gardening career and featured on a number of UK horticulture-themed TV shows.
  • Kim Wilde took to the skies with Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley on March 11, 2013 to set a new world record for the highest-ever gig, singing on a Boeing 767 airplane.

    The pair performed at 43,000ft (13,000m) for Comic Relief, beating the previous record of 42,080ft (12,825m) set by James Blunt in 2010. Wilde sang her hits "You Came," "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "Kids in America."

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