The Inimitable Klaus Nomi

courtesy of last.fm

I first Klaus Nomi on the soundtrack to Urgh! A Music War, which I bought at some hole-in-the-wall used record store for a few bucks. Being clueless to what was in my possession, I wasn't prepared for what came through the speakers. Klaus's sound is otherworldly, to say the least, a true contralto mixed with new wave synthesizers. His look was equally bizarre with stylized costumes, heavy makeup and a receding hairline. (Minus the balding pate, his look has been a huge influence on Lady Gaga.)

In his bio of David Bowie (with whom Klaus performed), Marc Spitz noted he was "shy and gentle offstage" but once on stage he was "completely without peer."

Nomi was not classically trained, but he had an uncanny multi-octave range that managed, when required anyway, to skirt camp for genuine beauty.

Klaus Nomi died in 1983 from AIDS. He was only 39-years-old.