Nicole and “A Little Peace”. There is hardly a singer who stands for a song as much as the German Grand Prix winner from 1982. Today she is celebrating her 60th birthday.
She was 17 years old when she won the Eurovision Song Contest – then called the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson européenne – on April 24, 1982 with “A Little Peace”. That was more than 42 years ago. Today Nicole is 60 – and has had a life full of ups and downs. But the musician doesn’t mind getting older, as she tells the German Press Agency. “I’m so grateful for every year,” said Nicole. “There are many who are not so lucky.”
After surviving breast cancer, she now lives much more consciously. “I learned a lot from the illness and have now done a lot of things differently for myself: I treat myself more.” She also calls out to her fans with her new album “Carpe Diem”: “Enjoy the day!”, she said. “Very few people realize that life is finite. Everything can be different tomorrow.” Her health is “very good” today. She only thinks about the breast cancer that she defeated in the summer of 2022 “every now and then.” She hopes that everything continues as well.
The singer won the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) for Germany in 1982 with the song “A Little Peace”. Quitting isn’t an issue for her yet: “Now I’m looking forward to my tour.” The program is also planned for next year. And there will “very likely” be a new album in 2026. Nicole has already released around 30 albums and sold tens of millions of records.
She looks back on her career so far “full of humility and gratitude.” All the dreams she had as a child came true. She is convinced that everything in life is predetermined. “There are no coincidences.” So it was “destiny” that she competed at the ESC a good 40 years ago with the song “A Little Peace”.
During the preselection, she had another song with the title “Nur ein Lied” in the running and had to decide shortly beforehand which one she would take. “My gut said yes to ‘A Little Peace.’ I can’t say why. I just knew it,” she said. With the other song she would never have ended up where she is today.
Nicole was the first musician to win the Grand Prix for Germany in 1982. As a 17-year-old in Harrogate, England, she sang her way into the hearts of millions of viewers in a black and white polka dot dress with a white guitar. She wanted to be a singer since she was a little girl – and learned the accordion and ballet at a very early age. The victory at the ESC was the start of a great career.
Your successful song will never lose its relevance. “The desire for peace will remain forever in people’s hearts,” Nicole said. At her concerts, where “A Little Peace” is never missing, she always feels “the special magic” that the song has. “People in the audience suddenly hold hands and sing along.” She always gets goosebumps. Nicole is sure: “People will still have the song on their lips, we’ve been history for a long time.”
