Terri Nunn

Terri Kathleen Nunn (born June 26, 1961) is an American singer and actress. She is best known as the vocalist for the new wave/synthpop band she fronts, Berlin, and is also known by that band name.

Nunn was born in Los Angeles, California. 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 from suicide when she was 13 years old.

In 1976, Nunn auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, but the role went to Carrie Fisher.

In 1977, she posed, under the name Betsy Harris, for nude photos for the February issue of Penthouse.For many years, Nunn denied that the photos were of her, because when they were taken she was only sixteen and still legally a minor.

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 T.J. Hooker, Lou Grant and James at 15.

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.

In 1985, Nunn left Berlin 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.

In 1991, she recorded and released a solo album entitled Moment of Truth, in association with David Z, Prince's Paisley Park producer.

In 1993, she approached lead singer Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy with a song idea and collaborated with him on "Under the Gun".

Nunn obtained usage rights to the band name "Berlin" in 1996, 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. Voyeur hit shelves in 2002. 4Play (2005) contains original songs and cover versions of some of the band's songs.

In 2003, Berlin’s original lineup reunited for the VH1 series "Bands Reunited".

In 2008, Nunn contributed sex and dating advice to Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's book Cherry Bomb.

Nunn sang across the United States on the 2009 Regeneration Tour, which also featured Martin Fry of ABC, Wang Chung, and Cutting Crew.

In 2010, Nunn appeared as a guest judge on season 2 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.

In January 2012, Nunn debuted her radio show on KCSN-FM. It features interviews and live performances.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Nunn among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Personal life

Nunn is married to attorney Paul Spear. She has one daughter and two stepsons. The family has lived in Santa Rosa Valley, California since 2012. Pamela Moore, also a singer, is Nunn's cousin.

Nunn is a vegan, formerly a vegetarian, since the age of 19.

Studio albums

• Moment of Truth (1991)

with Berlin

• Pleasure Victim (1982)
• Love Life (1984)
• Count Three & Pray (1986)
• Voyeur (2002)
• 4Play (2005)
• Animal (2013)
• Transcendance (2019)