Arts & Entertainment

Berlin's Terri Nunn: An Agoura Girl at Heart

Performing at the Canyon Club on Friday, the popular performer and local resident will host a new radio show and is set to record an album early next year.

Singer and actress Terri Nunn—best known as the lead vocalist of the New Wave-era band Berlin—moved to Agoura Hills in 2001 and has never looked back.

"I love it here," she said. "You get over the hill and there's space, peace, animals, lots of green stuff."

Nunn began her career as an actress in her teens and had stints on TV's Lou Grant and TJ Hooker. She even auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Wanting to make a transition into performing, she created Berlin in 1978 with partner John Crawford.

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Her biggest hit with the band was the top-selling single "Take My Breath Away," the love theme from the film Top Gun, which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe award for best original song. Other popular songs voiced by Nunn include "Sex (I'm a ...)", "The Metro," "You Don't Know," "No More Words" and "Masquerade."

The mother of three—two sons, ages 16 and 19, and a 7-year-old girl who attends —settled in the area with her husband, Paul, a mortgage broker, after spending many years in the Valley.

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Patch had an opportunity to chat with Nunn about her life in Agoura Hills and her illustrious career.

Agoura Hills Patch: Why did you move out here?

Terri Nunn: My brother lived in Westlake Village, so I used to come out this way a lot. ... We had originally moved to Encino to be near my mother who was ill ... but she fell in love and got married, so Paul and I decided to look [in Agoura]. ... We found a beautiful home, and I'm still happy about the decision. ... We have a great school district, it's safe. I almost don't like talking about it, 'cause I don't want more people here. It's such a small town, and I want to keep it that way.

Patch: What are your favorite go-to places?

Nunn: Let's see, we like to go to the restaurant, ; they have great sushi. The is great for breakfast. We like right next to . I love Trader Joe's and was beside myself with happiness when they opened there. on Coldwater and Riverside is one of my favorite restaurants of all time, and now there's one in our midst. Paul and I run there ... sometimes with our kids, sometimes without ... all the time. It's a frequent destination.

Patch: And you were the grand marshal for the 2008 Reyes Adobe Days.

Nunn: What an honor that was ... I've done a lot of things in my life, but I've never been a grand marshal for a city.

Patch: Why do you like performing at the ?

Nunn: You mean beside the fact that I can practically fall out of bed and onto the stage? It's such a great venue. It was created by [one of the previous owners of the House of Blues], so it's got a similar feel. I love that. I love the intimacy of the place. I just went to see there, and I'm amazed that I got to see them in a place like that.

Patch: What can we expect from your concert on Friday with Berlin?

Nunn: Speaking of Devo, Jerry Casale just did a video for us, which we'll be debuting at the show; it'll actually be the intro to the whole show. ...  This is our annual Christmas concert, so in addition to performing our hits and classics and new material, we'll be doing some holiday music. We've got a new Christmas song, and we'll also be doing my all-time favorite Christmas song: Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song." It'll be our version.

Patch: What else is upcoming for you?

Nunn: In January of 2012, I'll be debuting a new radio show on KCSN-FM. It'll be an "AAA" format, meaning adult album alternative. I'll be doing interviews and having live performances. The station has been so kind to me and is allowing me to do my own thing, so my show will offer a bit of a twist, but I won't tell you about that right now. Let's just say it'll be a unique show.

Patch: And you're getting ready to head back into the recording studio.

Nunn: Yes, I'll be recording a new album from January through March to be released next summer. ... The sound will still be electronic and especially dance-oriented. I really enjoy dancing and movement.

Patch: Who do you enjoy listening to now?

Nunn: I love Lady Gaga. In fact, her last album sounded like Berlin, 1982. ... I'm just amazed how that sound keeps going, plus now there are new [electronic] toys for me to play around with out there. I also like Goldfrapp and Shiny New Toys.

Patch: What do your kids like to listen to?

Nunn: My daughter [Natalie] likes me, which is wonderful. I'm just enjoying that. My boys are over that. To them, I'm just Mom. But Natalie likes Berlin, Queen, and, of course, the teen music like iCarly and Victorious.

Patch: To what do you attribute your longevity in the business?

Nunn: I never thought I'd get to do music this long. I am just so very lucky.

on Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $23.50.


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