Even as a child, Gitte Hænning (80) became a star, but to this day she thinks little of it. In an interview with "Bild", the singer looks back on her early years and emphasizes: "I am against child stars." In any case, she became a singer more against her will.
Already at eight years old, Hænning was on stage in Denmark with her father, songwriter Otto Johansson. A producer at the time wanted a duet from father and daughter, but little Gitte initially had no interest in it. "I didn't want to. My older sister did. But she was already too old for the song", Hænning recalls. Her parents eventually promised her a bicycle, "if it becomes a hit. And unfortunately it became a hit."
"I had no ambitions"
She nevertheless had no ambition to build a career on this achievement. "I didn't want to shine in any way. I had no ambitions", the Dane clarifies. She therefore experienced the status as a celebrated star as a burden. "I didn't like being famous. Not at all. I found being admired horrible", she emphasizes. Only her parents didn't make a big deal out of her achievement and existence as a child star. "I came through it very healthily. Perhaps also because my family never reduced me to fame", says Hænning.
Despite everything, the musician still regularly performs on stage today at 80 years old, currently with her tour "Ich bin stark - 80 Jahre Gitte Hænning." Music is "good for the soul", she explains. "It is fulfilling."
No Cowboy as a Husband
After the achievement of "Ich heirate Pappi" in 1954 with her father, Gitte Hænning was soon considered Denmark's most popular child star. Numerous television and film appearances followed before she also released in German and really took off in 1963 with "Ich will 'nen Cowboy als Mann". In the following years, she formed the most popular couple in German schlager music together with Rex Gildo (1936-1999) as "Gitte und Rex". In 1973, she competed for Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest and placed eighth with "Junger Tag".
But Hænning also always viewed her greatest achievement and first number-one hit in the German charts, "Ich will 'nen Cowboy als Mann", critically. "I never understood the song and didn't want to do it - like so many other things - didn't want to sing it", she confessed last month on the ARD magazine "Brisant". "I found it completely idiotic. It became a huge hit."
