From bankruptcy to burnout: Mathias Reim will not be defeated

From bankruptcy to burnout
Mathias Reim can’t be beat

11/26/2022 at 7:09 am

Mathias Reim succeeded in what many composers want to succeed: a song for eternity that no one will soon forget. But “Damn, I Love You” doesn’t save the singer from the low shakes in her life. Still, he does not want to quarrel on his 65th birthday.

With “Damn, I love you” he became a star more than 30 years ago: Mathias Reim’s life has been eventful. After climbing, there was a free fall in the early 2000s with personal bankruptcies.

The fight back was not an easy one. Today he’s fighting again – this time against the burnout that forced him to take a break from the stage. Still, Rim, who turns 65 this Saturday, doesn’t think about quitting: “I love my volatile musical life,” he explains.

Always facing setbacks, always coming out ahead, this is the balance the hit star strikes for his career. “I’ve experienced the ups — some evens,” he says, referring to the hundreds of millions in debt that bad investments had brought him. “The singing bankrupt vulture from Mallorca” was the headline in the newspapers at the time.

“Hey, I don’t have anything”

He tried to solve the serious situation with humour. He poked fun at himself with the song “Damn, I’ve Got Nothing” in a promotional video for a car rental company. And how does he view bankruptcy today? “Shaking my head – I was too naive,” he says.

In 2010, Reem was debt free again and released a new album: “Sieben Leben” went platinum and gave new inspiration to the pop star. Her most successful hits include “You’re My Luck”, “I Dream of You” and “I’m Not in Love”.

And yet life was good to him, says Reem, who became a father for the seventh time this year. The singer says, “It made me the person I am today.” In his music studio on Lake Constance, the native of North Hesse is still working on hits. His fourth wife Kristin Stark, his son Julian and daughter Marie, who comes from a relationship with pop singer Michelle, also make music.

“I just can’t take it anymore”

The family is happy that health is improving again, says Reem, who is now continuing his tour after a break of two months. Reem says, “The fact that I’m on the road again – you’ve known it your whole life. We’re a family of musicians.”

He takes his burnout seriously, which he describes as a total breakdown. That was a warning sign. “The worst moment for me was when I felt my voice slowly failing at my last concert.” He thought it was the end of his career. “But I couldn’t take it anymore. Then I lay in bed at home, shaking.” It was terrible.

He perfected himself months ago and always believed he was invincible. Now he pays more attention to rest break. “There are always work-free weeks in between when I can really relax and enjoy my big family.”

He also wants to take it easy on his birthday. But he is still a long way from retirement. “Right now, I can’t imagine sitting in a rocking chair somewhere enjoying retirement.” But who knows: “Maybe when I’m really old, I’ll feel differently about it. But no — I don’t think so.”