Stefanie Heinzmann

Born on March 10, 1989, in Eyholz, Valais, Switzerland, soul-pop vocalist Stefanie Heinzmann launched her music career in 2005 as a member of the rock band Bigfisch. Her national breakthrough came in early 2008 when she won SSDSDSSWEMUGABRTLAD, the Stefan Raab-hosted talent contest staged on the ProSieben late-night program TV Total. Performing in a soul-jazz-funk idiom, she earned a solo contract with Universal Music Group as her prize. Within days of the victory, her debut single, "My Man Is a Mean Man," written by the Swedish production team of Gustav Jonsson, Tommy Tysper, and Marcus Sepehrmanesh, climbed to number one in Switzerland, number three in Germany, and number six in Austria. The full-length album Masterplan, released later in 2008, duplicated much of that momentum by topping the Swiss chart, reaching number three in Germany, and peaking at number five in Austria. The follow-up single "Like a Bullet" registered solid sales though it did not equal the chart performance of its predecessor.