Sonja Herholdt (born 1 December 1952) is a multi-talented South African Afrikaner entertainment personality. She is an actress, songwriter, and singer with the voice of an angel.
Life wasn’t fair for Sonja but she found the strength to overcome each challenge and adversity. She was involved in a car accident and also her husband filed for a divorce.
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| Background Information | |
| Name: | Sonja Herholdt |
| Born: | 1 December 1952 (age 69 years) |
| Place of birth: | Nigel, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Teaching Cum laude |
| Alma mater: | Johannesburg (Goudstad) College of Education |
| Husband: | FC Hamman (div. 1996) |
| Children: | Claudia Hamman, Simeon Hamman, Jesse Hamman, Timothy Hamman |
| Occupation: | Actress, songwriter, and singer |
| Genre: | Pop, Adult contemporary |
| Years active: | 1976-date |
| Label: | Son Music |
| Net Worth: | US$5 million |
Early Life
Sonja Herholdt was born on 1 December 1952 in the rural mining area of Nigel in Gauteng. She had always wanted to do music and sing since childhood. Her parents discovered her talent and helped her grow.
At the age of three, she had already begun to sing, she made her debut singing performance at the local community recreation hall. She sang the Afrikaans lullaby Slaap, my Kindjie.
Education
Herholdt had her elementary school at the Afrikaans-medium Tini Vorster Primary and completed at Hoërskool John Vorster and was the Head Girl.
After studying for three years at Johannesburg (Goudstad) College of Education, she graduated with a diploma cum laude.
Career
After completing her studies, she got a job as a teacher. After meeting FC Hamman, who later married her, she lost interest in teaching. She decided to follow her childhood dreams and ambition.
Entering the music industry full-time, she did a spot on Gwynneth Ashley Robin’s show. Later, she was asked to record a single Ek Verlang Na Jou.
Sonja Herholdt released other albums and singles with gained her both recognition, critical, and commercial success. She bagged eight Sarie Awards.
With many hit songs to her name in the 1970s and 1980s, Sonja was many times the best female artist in South Africa.
Apart from doing music, she had always wanted to try acting and in 1979, she did. She starred in the film Sing vir die Harlekyn, the role earned her a Rapport Oscar Award as Best Female Newcomer.
Her music career continued to blossom as she enjoyed musical success in Europe. She is the first South African singer to perform on the Netherland’s local television. Her hit song Oberammergau was recorded in Dutch.
After performing in Belgium, the hit song Oberammergau climbed to fifth place on the Belgian music charts. She also held a performance at the Religious Broadcasting Corporation in Washington in 1989. The same year, her gospel album was released titled Warrior is a Child.
Sonja Herholdt was recognized by the Afrikaans Chamber of Commerce with an award for her services to Afrikaans music in 1991. Entering an album contract with BMG Records in 1995 gained her more success.
Herholdt created and launched her record company Son Music in 2002.
Private Life
Sonja Herholdt married the director FC Hamman in 1976. Their youngest son developed an extreme hearing impairment as her grew. To help their child, she decided to launch a school for Afrikaans children with similar problems.
The school started in the pre-primary section of Bryanston Primary School. She had to go back to her teaching profession for a while.
In 1996, Sonja was involved in a car accident and was lucky to have survived. Later, she and FC Hamman divorced after being in a marital relationship for 21 years.
The duo called their union a quit in June 1996 after FC Hamman was unfaithful. Their union was blessed with four lovely children. In 1982, they had their first child Claudia Hamman.
Three years later, in 1985, Simeon Hamman was born and Jesse Hamman was born in 1987. She had her lastborn child Timothy Hamman in 1991.
Sadly, in 1993, Timothy became unwell which made him lose his sense of hearing.
Sonja collaborated with Carel Cronjé to release her autobiography in 2007 Sonja: Meisie van Nigel.
Discography
- n Ster Vanaand (1994)
- Tuiskoms (1995)
- More sal die son weer skyn (1996)
- Ritsel in die Rietbos (1998)
- Reconstructing Alice (2000)
- Sonjare
- 20 Gunsteling treffers
- Dis Kersfees
- Sonja Herholdt Skipskop
- Die mense wat ek liefhet*Gunsteling treffers (1992)
- Sê die engele moet kyk na my (1994)
- Die verhale van vrouwees
- She
- She The Princess
- Liefling die movie
- Pêrels
Net Worth
The multi-award-winning singer Sonja Herholdt has been in the music industry since 1976. She has accumulated an estimated net worth of US$5 million.
How ironic that i always knew fc was a 🙄 since the first day i saw him. Amazing that after all these years he still is one and through 🤮 behaviour he lost the greatest woman that ever lived. There are too many words to describe this upstanding citizen.
Met up with her again a few years back here in Benoni at Brentwood Laerskool. She is doing great and happily married again. Still beautiful inside and out. Dankie Tannie Sonja vir sover jare van luistereike musiek.