Terri Kathleen Nunn (born June 26, 1961) is an American singer and actress. She is known as the vocalist of the 1980s new wave and synth-pop band Berlin.
Biography
Nunn was born in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 1961.[1] Her father Larry Nunn (1925–1974) was a painter and a former contract child actor for MGM (Men of Boys Town, The Major and the Minor). He was an alcoholic and died by suicide in 1974 when she was 13 years old.[2] Her mother Joy appeared in her music video for "Sex (I'm a ...)".[3]
In 1976, Nunn auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars.[4] Later that year, Nunn posed nude for Penthouse magazine, convincing the magazine that she was legally an adult, with the pictorial appearing in 1977 under a pseudonym.[5] For many years, Nunn denied her participation as the photos were taken when she was a minor.[6]
She joined Berlin in 1978 and temporarily left the group the following year to pursue an acting career. Nunn acted in numerous television shows in the 1970s and 1980s, including Family, T.J. Hooker, Lou Grant, Vega$ and James at 15. Nunn also appeared in the 1978 ensemble film Thank God It's Friday.
In 1981, she rejoined Berlin as the lead vocalist and soon forged her recording career in the band. Her greatest success in Berlin was the top-selling 1986 single "Take My Breath Away", the theme song for the film Top Gun. It reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. She sang other popular songs with Berlin, including "Sex (I'm a ...)," "The Metro," "You Don't Know," "No More Words," and "Masquerade."
In 1985, Nunn briefly dated Michael Hutchence, whom she met at an INXS concert in London while Berlin were recording the album Count Three & Pray. The relationship ended when INXS returned to Australia.[7]
In 1985, Nunn left Berlin[8] and recorded the song "Dancing in Isolation" for the film Better Off Dead. In 1989, she performed a duet with Paul Carrack called "Romance", which was included on the soundtrack to the film Sing.
Nunn obtained usage rights to the band name "Berlin" in 1996,[10] and reformed that band with new members, who began recording and touring. Berlin released two EPs Fall into Heaven and Fall into Heaven 2 in 1999, followed by Live: Sacred and Profane in 2000, their first live album.[citation needed]Voyeur hit shelves in 2002. 4Play (2005) contains original songs and cover versions of some of the band's songs.[citation needed]
In 2003, Berlin’s original lineup reunited for the VH1 series "Bands Reunited".[11]
In 2008, Nunn contributed sex and dating advice to Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's book Cherry Bomb.[12][13]
In 2010, Nunn appeared as a guest judge on season two of RuPaul's Drag Race, mentoring the contestants in a rock-themed singing challenge.
Nunn co-hosts Between the Sheets, a popular podcast on webcast media station Hottalkla.com.[15]
In January 2012, Nunn debuted her radio show on KCSN-FM. It features interviews and live performances.[16]
Nunn performed at a 2020 New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago,[17] later expressing regret for performing at the event. Some fans expressed loud discontent towards her (including ex band members) after this performance. They stated that it was outrageous to perform at a Trump-owned resort, and that his blatant disregard for mask mandates should have been taken into account and should have been grounds for her to refuse playing the show.[18]
Nunn is married to attorney Paul Spear. In 2004, she adopted a baby who had been born in Russia and named her Natalie Joy. She also has two stepsons from her husband.[19] The family has lived in Santa Rosa Valley, California, since 2012.[16] Her cousin is Pamela Moore, also a singer, who has performed with Queensrÿche.[20]
