Tamara Danz (December 14, 1952-July 22, 1996) was the lyricist and lead singer of the East German group Silly. She died at the age 43 of breast cancer. She has frequently been called the "Tina Turner of the east".

Tamara Danz was born on 14 December 1952 in Breitungen/Werra, the daughter of a kindergarten teacher and a mechanical engineer, who later became her career advisor. Her childhood was spent in Romania and Bulgaria, where she attended a Russian school. She made her first debut in 1971 in Berlin, where she was a singer for the band "Die Cropies". Her philology study breaks it off after two years; her application at the university for music "Hanns Eisler" was rejected. She sang further with various bands, including the "October Club". After a three-year training she received her diploma at the School of Music Friedrichshain in 1977. In 1978 she joined the band "Familie Silly", which was renamed to Silly in 1980. In 1981 Tamara was selected the best female rock singer in East Germany ("Rocklady Nr. 1 der DDR"), and again in '83, '85 and '86. In addition she was the 1986 singer of the all-star band "Gitarreros", where she became acquainted with Uwe Hassbecker.

On 18 September 1989 she was the co-author and original signer of the "Resolution der Rockmusiker und Liedermacher" (Resolution of Rock Musicians and Songwriters). This was a petition to the West German government, in which political reforms and the freedom to have opposing political groups were demanded. Tamara also read the text illegally in concerts. In 1990, she was on several different "round tables" for the reform of the GDR.

Tamara was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. She had an immediate operation and afterwards a series of medical practices and hospitalizations. Tamara married Uwe Hassbecker shortly before her death on 22 July 1996.

Songs

• Battalion d'Amour
• Kinder der Nacht
• Mont Klamott

Literature

• Alexander Osang: Tamara Danz: Legenden. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-86153-124-0