Green Eyed Soul

Background:

German singer Sarah Connor received her first big break at age 17 when she was picked from her school to sing at a Michael Jackson concert in Germany. She eventually released a debut album in 2001 titled "Green Eyed Soul” and later, the albums "Unbelievable" (2002), "Key to My Soul" (2003), "Naughty but Nice" (2005), and "Sexy as Hell" (2008). She also released a Christmas album, "Christmas in My Heart" (2005), and a cover album, "Soulicious" (2007). The albums have spawned such #1 hit singles as "From Sarah with Love" (2001), "Music Is the Key" (featuring Naturally 7; 2003), "Just One Last Dance" (2004), "Living to Love You" (2004), and "From Zero to Hero" (2005).

More personally, this 5' 10 blonde-haired, green-eyed best selling German artist married American pop-rock musician Marc Terenzi in 2004. The couple, who has two children, announced their separation in November 2008.

Sarah Leve

Childhood and Family:

In Delmenhorst, Germany, Sarah Leve was born on June 13, 1980, to parents Michael Leve, an advertising manager of American descent, and Soraya Gray, a Scottish-German former model and homemaker who is now also her manager. The eldest child of her family, Sarah has four younger sisters, Sophia Luisa Leve (born in 1992; plays in her video “From Sarah with Love”), Valentina Leve (born in 1996), Marisa Leve, and Anna Maria Leve (born in 1981), and one younger brother named Robin Leve.

Sarah's parents divorced a couple of years ago and her father now lives in New Orleans and her mother married a plastic surgeon named Jürgen Tacke. Soraya gave birth to twin boys named Lex and Mick on May 27, 2008.

Sarah, who is fluent in English, German, French and Spanish, quit school in the 11th grade to begin her music career. She once dated singer Martin Scholz and was romantically linked to TQ and Wyclef Jean.

On March 15, 2004, Sarah married Marc Terenzi (born on June 27, 1979), the lead singer of the American boy band Natural, whom she met at Bravo Happy Holidays festival in Rust, Germany, in 2002. The ceremony took place on a beach in Altafulla, Spain, and was watched by over 4 million German television viewers. The couple has two children, a son named Tyler Marc Terenzi (born on February 2, 2004) and a daughter named Summer Antonia Soraya (born on June 23, 2006). Sarah and Marc announced their separation on November 1, 2008.

Sarah is a vegetarian and supporter of PETA. She says she became a vegetarian because her idol Michael Jackson is also one. She has three dogs, Luka, Donna, and Muffin Mailo, and a cat named Cutie.

From Sarah with Love

Career:

"I wanted people to come see my concerts one day so I set my sights on getting my music out there and getting a record deal." Sarah Connor

Joining a local gospel choir at age 6, Sarah Connor, whose musical idols while growing up were such artists as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye, attended music school when she was a teenager. She quit school in 11th grade and started sending off demo tapes to record labels and producers under the name “Sarah Grey.” To pay for her vocal lessons, the aspiring singer worked as a waitress in a hotel.

At age 17, Connor got her first big break when she was picked from her school to sing at a Michael Jackson concert in Germany. She recalled, "I loved it and knew for sure then that singing was what I wanted to do."

On November 26, 2001, Connor released her debut studio album, "Green Eyed Soul," through X-Cell and Epic Records. It spawned the singles "Let's Get Back to Bed – Boy," a TQ collaboration, "French Kissing," which was based on a sample of BLACKstreet's "No Diggity," "From Sarah with Love," a ballad which became her first #1 hit and garnered her a Comet and ECHO Award, and "If U Were My Man," which failed to chart.

Despite receiving a mixed reception from professional music critics, the album was eventually certified platinum and double gold by IFPI and ranked twenty-eighth on the year-end charts in Germany. Upon its release, it opened at #2 on the German Albums Chart and within the Top 5 in Austria, Finland, and Switzerland.

Connor released her sophomore album, "Unbelievable," on September 30, 2002. The album peaked at #10 on the German Media Control albums chart and produced four singles: the Wyclef Jean-produced and featured "One Nite Stand (of Wolves and Sheep)," the ballad "Skin on Skin," "He's Unbelievable," which was based on a sample of Tupac's "California Love," and her North American debut single "Bounce."

The following year, on November 17, 2003, Connor released her third effort, "Key to My Soul," which peaked at #8 on the German album charts. It yielded the singles "Music Is the Key" with Naturally 7 and "Just One Last Dance" with Natural (in duet with lead singer Marc Terenzi).

After releasing a self-titled compilation album on March 9, 2004, which hit #116 on Billboard's "Top 200" chart, Connor recorded her fourth studio album, "Naughty but Nice." Released on March 21, 2005, the album debuted at number one on the German albums chart, was eventually certified Gold, and was the 16th best-selling album in 2005. It spun off the #1 hit singles "Living to Love You" and "From Zero to Hero," the latter of which was the soundtrack to 20th Century Fox's computer animated film "Robots."

That same year, Connor debuted in the reality show "Sarah and Marc in Love," where she and former boy band member and husband Marc Terenzi revealed their wedding ceremony. She also released a Christmas album, "Christmas in My Heart," whose title track peaked at #4 on the German charts. It would later be re-released on November 24, 2006.

March 30, 2007, saw the release of Connor's cover album, "Soulicious," which spawned the singles "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" and "Sexual Healing" (featuring Ne-Yo). She recently released the album "Sexy as Hell" on August 22, 2008. It produced the singles "Under My Skin,” and "I'll Kiss It Away."

Awards:

• BRAVO Otto: Supersinger Female, Golden Otto, 2006

• Comet: Best Female Singer, 2006

• World Music Award: Best Selling German Artist, 2005

• Neo Award: Most Successful Download Album, “Key to My Soul,” 2005

• Diva Awards: Music Artist of the Year, 2005

• Goldenen Kamera: Pop National, 2005

• BRAVO Otto: Supersinger Female, Golden Otto, 2005

• Comet: Best Female Artist, 2005

• Eins Live Krone: Best Female Artist, 2005

• Radio Hamburg Award: Best Female National Pop Act, 2004

• ECHO: Best National Female Rock/Pop, 2003

• Goldene Europa: Most Successful German Female Singer, 2003

• BRAVO Otto: Supersinger National, Silver Otto, 2003

• Radio Regenbogen Award: Best Hit 2001, “From Sarah with Love,” 2003

• Maxim: Woman of the Year – Popstar, 2003

• Comet: Best National Newcomer, 2002

• Top of the Pops Award: Best German Newcomer, 2002