Terri Nunn

Terri Nunn wanted to be Princess Leia; instead, she became an '80s new wave icon. Before becoming the lead singer of Berlin, Nunn auditioned for Star Wars; however, she did not win the role. Nunn joined Berlin in 1979 after the departure of the Los Angeles band's original vocalist. When Berlin's suggestive single "Sex (I'm A...)" debuted on new wave radio stations in 1982, Nunn's blunt, R-rated dialogue provided a raunchy alternative to the frigid, robotic singing of many synth pop artists, many of whom were men. The critics weren't impressed, but Nunn's good looks and British-sounding vocals, a cross between Pat Benatar's tough girl tone and Annie Lennox's chilly croon, helped Berlin create a cult following on MTV, especially with the music videos for "The Metro" and "No More Words." In 1986, Berlin topped pop radio with the decidedly mainstream ballad "Take My Breath Away" from the Top Gun soundtrack. However, certain members of the group weren't pleased with the band's more commercial direction, and Berlin was torn apart a year later. In 1992, Nunn recorded the solo album Moment of Truth. After a lengthy hiatus from music, Nunn recruited new musicians to resurrect Berlin in the late '90s. In 2000, they released Berlin Live: Sacred and Profane. True to Nunn's rebellious spirit, the album cover, which depicts a woman breast-feeding her child, caused some controversy with the record label. ~ Michael Sutton