Alexandra

Born Doris Trietz on May 19, 1942, in Heydekrug, Memelland—then part of Germany and now known as ilucé, Lithuania—the future performer who adopted her middle name Alexandra passed her early years in Kiel and Hamburg while harboring ambitions of fame. Songwriting began in childhood, and during adolescence she accumulated funds for her initial guitar purchase. Around that period she encountered Russian Nikolai Nefedov; despite his being three decades her senior, the two married when she turned nineteen. Their first child arrived soon afterward, prompting divorce; Nefedov departed for America while Alexandra remained in Hamburg raising their son. Singing lessons followed, along with a growing fascination for theater. A local producer spotted her onstage, became captivated by both her vocal ability and appearance, and consequently scheduled introductions with record executives. Her debut single, “Ziguenerjunge,” appeared in 1967 and was succeeded by “Sehnsucht,” “Schwartze Balalaika,” “Mein Freund, der Baum,” and additional releases. Alexandra’s trajectory concluded abruptly on July 31, 1969, when a car crash during a holiday with her mother and child claimed the lives of both adults almost immediately.