Haddaway
His hypnotic 1993 dance anthem 'What Is Love' became a global phenomenon and a permanent fixture in pop culture.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Trinidadian-German singer·Birthday: January 9·Generation X
Biography
Born in Trinidad and raised in Washington D.C., Nestor Alexander Haddaway found his musical footing after moving to Germany in his twenties. His breakthrough was a seismic event in the early 90s club scene. The track 'What Is Love,' with its driving Eurodance beat and his soulful, plaintive vocal questioning, dominated airwaves and dancefloors, topping charts across Europe. While often labeled a one-hit wonder, Haddaway built a sustained career in the European dance music industry, releasing several albums and continuing to perform. His signature song, however, transcended its era, finding renewed life through endless movie and television parodies, most famously on 'Saturday Night Live,' ensuring his voice remains curiously omnipresent decades later.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Haddaway was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Haddaway Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Haddaway's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His single 'What Is Love' reached number one in 13 countries in 1993.
- The music video for 'What Is Love' won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Dance Video.
- He represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song 'Celebrate.'
Did You Know?
He studied business administration and worked as a financial analyst before pursuing music full-time.
He is a trained martial artist and has a black belt in Taekwondo.
His song 'Life' was used as the official anthem for the 1995 World Championships in Athletics.
“What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more.”
