Maite Kelly

The 11th of 12 children born into the hugely popular Gypsy-folk outfit the Kelly Family, Maite Kelly was arguably the only member to forge a successful solo career outside the band. Born in Berlin in 1979, she spent her childhood touring with her father and siblings, whose 1994 album, Over the Hump, sold over four million copies, until she briefly relocated to the U.S. where she graduated from high school in 2000. During the subsequent decade, she continued to sporadically perform with her family while also devoting more time to her faith and charity work, particularly in Togo, where she helped to set up a new university parish. In 2009, she voiced the German-language edition of Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure, co-presented the daytime talk show Frauenzimmer, and appeared as Tracy Turnblad in the Cologne production of Hairspray. Two years later, she won RTL's answer to Dancing with the Stars (Let's Dance) and released her first official solo album, the 1930s jazz-pop-inspired Das Volle Programm. ~ Jon O'Brien