Born in Erfurt, Thuringia, in 1979, Yvonne Catterfeld pursued musical endeavors from her teenage years onward but began to gain notice only after competing (under the name Vivianne) in the singing contest Stimme 2000, securing (with help from soon-to-be BMG exec Thomas Stein) a contract with the Hansa Music label and releasing several singles during the early 2000s. After Catterfeld was offered a role on the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten in 2002, her single "Fur Dich" hit number one on the German, Austrian, and Swiss charts, and the full-length Meine Welt had similar success, achieving platinum status. A year later, her album Farben Meiner Welt arrived. As Catterfeld's television career sputtered, she released 2006's Aura to mixed reviews and slow sales. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez