Ramona

Singer Ramona Kraft was born to a German mother and African-American father on October 18, 1954 in Hanau, Germany. At age fifteen, Ramona entered a talent competition and was discovered by music producer Horst Heinz Henning. Kraft secured a record deal with the label "Phillips" and became a teenage star with a string of German schlager songs. At age twenty, she joined the popular German disco trio, Silver Convention. Silver Covention not only had major hits in the mid-70s with the disco classics, "Fly, Robin, Fly" and "Get Up and Boogie", but also performed the charming tune, "Telegram", at the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. Kraft's solo single, "Save the Last Dance", was released in early 1976, but alas was a flop. She recorded her first English language solo album, "Natural Woman", in 1977. This album also proved to be a commercial failure. However, the single "Step by Step" was adapted into the theme song for an American TV program, Step by Step (1991). Moreover, Ramona scored a minor hit with a cover of the French song, "Parlez-moi d'amour", in 1978. Kraft remained a member of Silver Convention until the group broke up in 1979. In 1980, she released her second English language album, "Shake What Yo' Mama Give Ya", That same year, Ramona sang duets with Chris Roberts on his album, "Chris and Friends". She married music producer Horst Hornung in December, 1980. In 1983, Kraft did a cover of Irene Cara's mega-hit, "What a Feeling", from the blockbuster movie, Flashdance (1983). Ramona recorded two additional albums which failed to achieve any commercial success: 1986's "Strip to the Heart" and 1988's "Mood to Mood". Kraft still occasionally reunites with fellow Silver Convention members Penny McLean and Linda Thompson for nostalgic appearances on various German TV shows.