Next person biography:
Alice and Ellen Kessler, German twin sisters, rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. Born to mechanical engineer Paul Kessler and his wife Elsa, they were encouraged to develop their artistic talents from an early age, taking ballet classes. By 1950, they had graduated from opera school in Leipzig. The sisters defected from East Germany to West Germany, making their professional debut at the Düsseldorf Palladium as singer/dancers and appearing in several German musicals and romances.
In 1955, they joined the Paris Lido's Bluebell Girls, performing on the Champs-Élysées. The twins' blonde hair, unusual height, and long legs made them a popular attraction. They represented West Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959, finishing 8th. They recorded several songs for Polydor, which were moderately successful. In the early 1960s, they became featured performers on Italy's RAI TV musical program Studio Uno, and their rendition of "Dadaumpa" became the show's theme song.
In 1962, the twins settled in Italy, where they gained iconic status as "Le gemelle Kessler." They appeared on the cover of Life Magazine in 1963 and posed nude on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy Magazine at the age of 40, selling out in record time. Between 1963 and the early 1970s, they performed on variety shows in the United States, including The Red Skelton Hour, The Danny Kaye Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.
In private life, the Kesslers rejected many advances from prominent American actors, including Elvis Presley, but did have a brief affair with Burt Lancaster. The twins decided to remain single and moved back to Germany in 1986, setting up residence in the affluent suburb of Geiselgasteig, near Munich. Despite being inseparable, their apartments are separated only by a sliding door.
Throughout their careers, the Kessler Twins received numerous awards, including the Montreux Rose D'or and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
