AnNa R.

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = AnNa R.

| image = Rosenstolz AnNa R (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = AnNa R. in 2006

| birth_name = Andrea Rosenbaum

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| alias = Andrea Neuenhofen{{Cite web|last=Neumann|first=Olaf|url= http://www.neuepresse.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Uebersicht/Andrea-Neuenhofen-AnNa-R.-auf-Tour |title=Andrea Neuenhofen (AnNa R.) auf Tour|language=de|website=Neue Presse|date=6 December 2013}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1969|12|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = East Berlin, East Germany

| origin =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|3|16|1969|12|25|df=yes}}

| death_place = Berlin, Germany

| genre = Pop

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}

| instrument =

| years_active = 1991–2025

| label = {{hlist|Pool|Beaux (Traumton)|Polydor|Island (Universal)}}

| associated_acts = Rosenstolz, Gleis 8

| website = {{URL|http://www.gleis8.net}} {{in lang|de}}

}}

Andrea Neuenhofen (née Rosenbaum; 25 December 1969 – 16 March 2025), better known by her stage name AnNa R., was a German singer and songwriter who provided the lead vocals for pop group Gleis 8. She was previously the main vocalist of Rosenstolz, a pop duo that was active between 1991 and 2012 and had chart hits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Early life

AnNa R. was born Andrea Rosenbaum{{Cite web|last=Tackenberg|first=Marcus|url=http://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/medien/artikel/1031/ex-rosenstolz-sangerin-heisst-nicht-natalie |title=Vorname ist Wikipedia-Erfindung – Ex-Rosenstolz-Sängerin heißt nicht Natalie|language=de|website=Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung|date= 5 July 2013}} on 25 December 1969{{Cite web|url=http://www.rosenstolz.de/magazin/steckbriefe |website=Rosenstolz Magazin|title=Steckbriefe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110213131/http://www.rosenstolz.de/magazin/steckbriefe |archive-date=10 November 2013|language=de|access-date=18 January 2014}}[http://www.laut.de/Rosenstolz "laut.de-Biographie – Rosenstolz"] (in German). laut.de. Retrieved 18 January 2014. in Berlin-Friedrichshain and grew up in the former East Germany.Rosenstolz (1997). Lieb mich, wenn du kannst, nimm mich, nimm mich ganz (3rd ed., July 1998) (in German). Munich, Germany: dtv. {{ISBN|3-423-20058-8}}.{{rp|22–24}} She sang in a choir during her youth. After she had finished her secondary education, she auditioned for a place at Musikschule Friedrichshain (Friedrichshain music school), but was not accepted. Consequently, she took up private singing lessons. She also trained as a laboratory assistant after finishing her secondary education, but soon changed career to become a sheet music salesperson.{{rp|22–29}}

Career

=1991–2012: Rosenstolz=

Looking for a pianist to help her to realize her aim of becoming a bar singer, AnNa R. was introduced by a friend to Peter Plate, a keyboard player who had just moved to Berlin and needed a singer. Although they had different musical aspirations, with AnNa R. preferring to sing chanson and Plate wanting to make English-language pop music, the pair got together to write songs, performing them as pop duo Rosenstolz.{{rp|30–37, 59}}

Although their early records were not commercially successful, AnNa R. and Plate achieved increasing success over Rosenstolz's two-decade history, eventually having charts hits not only in their native Germany but also in Austria and Switzerland.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132855/http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Rosenstolz&country=de "Discographie – Rosenstolz"] (in German). charts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 26 October 2014. These included five No. 1 studio albums in Germany.[http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Rosenstolz/22195/?type=longplay "Chartverfolgung / Rosenstolz / Longplay"] (in German). musicline.de. PHONONET GmbH. Retrieved 18 January 2014. During their Rosenstolz career, AnNa R. and Plate undertook various initiatives to raise money for AIDS charities, and both were awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) in 2011 in recognition of their efforts.[http://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=14906 "Rosenstolz mit Bundesverdienstkreuz ausgezeichnet"] (in German). queer.de. 1 September 2011. In 2012, the duo decided to split up.[http://www.stern.de/news2/aktuell/rosenstolz-trennen-sich-nach-mehr-als-20-jahren-1945092.html "Rosenstolz trennen sich nach mehr als 20 Jahren"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112095528/http://www.stern.de/news2/aktuell/rosenstolz-trennen-sich-nach-mehr-als-20-jahren-1945092.html |date=12 January 2014 }} (in German). stern.de. 20 December 2012. AnNa R. stated that both she and Plate wanted to take a break from each other and try something new.Opitz, Anja. [http://www.ampya.com/news/Interviews/Wir-sind-nicht-Anna-R.-und-sondern-eine-Band-SN100727 ""Wir sind nicht Anna R. und, sondern eine Band""] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201150818/http://www.ampya.com/news/Interviews/Wir-sind-nicht-Anna-R.-und-sondern-eine-Band-SN100727 |date=1 February 2014 }} (in German). AMPYA. 24 May 2013.

AnNa R. was the main vocalist of Rosenstolz{{Cite web |title=anna-r-the-career-of-the-rosenstolz-singer-before-her-death/ar-AA1B9zr5 |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/anna-r-the-career-of-the-rosenstolz-singer-before-her-death/ar-AA1B9zr5 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=www.msn.com}} and also contributed to writing the lyrics of the band's songs with Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer.{{Cite web|last=Schröder|first=Christian|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/pop/rosenstolz-interview-ein-schoenes-wort-lyrisches-ich/1333746.html |title="Ein schönes Wort: lyrisches Ich"|language=de |website=Der Tagesspiegel|date=25 September 2008}} Towards the end of Rosenstolz, AnNa R. felt that she was not contributing as much to songwriting as she had done earlier in the band's history.{{Cite web|last=Eberl|first=Udo|url= https://www.tagblatt.de/Home/nachrichten/kultur/ueberregionale-kultur_artikel,-Rosenstolz-Saengerin-Anna-R-ist-mit-Band-und-rockigeren-Klaengen-zurueck-_arid,215762.html |title=Rosenstolz-Sängerin Anna R. ist mit Band und rockigeren Klängen zurück|language=de|website=Schwäbisches Tagblatt|date=27 May 2013}}

=2012–2025: Gleis 8=

In January 2012, AnNa R. started working with musicians Lorenz Allacher, Timo Dorsch and Manne Uhlig.Kampe, Sina. [http://www.berliner-kurier.de/leute/gleis-8--bitte-einsteigen--anna-r--von-rosenstolz-hat-eine-neue-band,7169134,22748640.html "Anna R. von Rosenstolz hat eine neue Band"] (in German). Berliner Kurier. 12 May 2013. The following year, they officially announced their formation as the band Gleis 8.[http://www.gleis8.net/ Official Gleis 8 website] (in German). Go to the first item of the News section, dated 6 March 2013. Their debut album Bleibt das immer so, which was released in May 2013, reached No. 7 in the German albums chart.{{Cite web |title=Gleis 8, Bleibt das immer so |url=http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Gleis+8&title=Bleibt+das+immer+so&cat=a&country=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182916/http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Gleis+8&title=Bleibt+das+immer+so&cat=a&country=de |archive-date=2014-07-14 |access-date=26 October 2014 |website=charts.de |publisher=GfK Entertainment |language=de}} AnNa R. wrote the band's songs in cooperation with her band colleagues.[http://www.dresdner.nu/interviews/Zurueck-auf-dem-Gleis-Im-Interview-mit-Rosenstolz-Saengerin-AnNa-R-zu-ihrer-Tour-mit-Gleis.52947A6C.3B03.html.php "Zurück auf dem Gleis – Im Interview mit Rosenstolz-Sängerin AnNa R. zu ihrer Tour mit Gleis 8"] (in German). Dresdner Kulturmagazin. Retrieved 18 January 2014. She described the band as being democratic, with all the members being of equal standing.Lohr, Matthias. [http://www.hna.de/nachrichten/kultur/anna-hna-interview-ueber-ihre-neue-band-gleis-2920475.html "Anna R. im HNA-Interview über ihre neue Band Gleis 8"] (in German). HNA.DE. 23 May 2013.

A few weeks prior to her death, she took to Instagram to promote her "Courage to Love" tour, which was scheduled to start in October 2025.{{Cite web |title=Rosenstolz singer AnNa R. dies unexpectedly at the age of 55 |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/entertainment/blue-music/rosenstolz-singer-anna-r-dies-unexpectedly-at-the-age-of-2608849.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=blue News |language=en}}

Personal life and death

AnNa R. married Nilo Neuenhofen in 2002.[http://www.bz-berlin.de/archiv/zum-start-ihrer-neuen-cd-herz-interview-mit-rosenstolz-article46029.html "Zum Start ihrer neuen CD "Herz". Interview mit Rosenstolz:"] (in German). B.Z. 18 March 2004. Her activities in her spare time included cooking and boxing.[http://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/medien/artikel/1117/2906-wojo-interview-anna-r# "Sängerin AnNa R. über Rosenstolz und Gleis 8"] (in German). Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. 6 July 2013.

On 17 March 2025, it was announced that AnNa R. had died in Berlin. She was 55.[https://www.morgenpost.de/panorama/article408573081/anna-r-rosenstolz-saengerin-tot-gestorben-todesursache.html AnNa R. tot: Doch keine Obduktion – Polizei gibt Leichnam frei]. Brisant. Retrieved 17 March 2025. {{in lang|de}}{{Cite web |title=German Pop Icon AnNa R. Of Rosenstolz Dies Unexpectedly At 55 |url=https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/german-pop-icon-anna-r-of-rosenstolz-dies-unexpectedly-at-55-266233?srsltid=AfmBOorSf2Yo-d5IEN_uKuyCuHxy0ndwmQMNTX5LvBtql8bFyVCDDy7k |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=The Pinnacle Gazette |language=en}} An official cause was not disclosed, however, police communicated that a crime or selfharm had been ruled out. [https://www.fr.de/panorama/in-wohnung-gefunden-polizei-startet-ermittlungen-rosenstolz-saengerin-anna-53-tot-93631504.html]. Frankfurter Rundschau. Retrieved 24 March 2025. {{in lang|de}}