Stella Cornelia Walker, an American of German descent, was born in Heidelberg, at the castle, to a singer and a saxophonist. She grew up with her mother, who dragged her from one club and one studio to the next. Stella rarely missed concerts, and if there were any spare parts, like Hair or the Les Humphries Singers, she was allowed to join them on stage at the end. Only when Stella's mother gave short TV interviews, like on Rudi Carrell's show, did Stella watch them with her grandmother. She always wanted to be an actress and singer; however, this was not her mother's wish, who kept her away from any show business. As a mother, Stella went to the States with her one-week-old son to meet the other musical member of her family, her father (saxophone/piano).

For several years, Stella lived in New Jersey and earned her living as a freelance dancer, where she remained undiscovered. She became a mother to a second child, a daughter, and some time later, Stella returned to Germany. The desire to be a singer still remained just that—a desire. Stella began a medical career, combining it with a great deal of spirituality. There were several training courses in this field; however, the exercises involving breathing made a vision of being a singer clearer. This vision was further intensified by the chants and mantras that were repeatedly sung. One day, she received a visit from a man with whom she had, so to speak, grown up. He was the son of very good friends of Stella's biological parents. He, as the owner, offered her a position; Stella was to manage the German concert agency as an authorized signatory. Stella was happy to at least be able to work around the stage again, and celebrity wasn't new to her. As a single mother of two children with a job that required almost 24 hours a day, Stella didn't have it easy, but she had a lot of fun and music. One day, she found herself caught up in a web of machinations and left the company. Stella lost everything she held dear, and in the haze of her sadness, she began to sing about her grief. She dug out all her favorite songs, from Billie Holiday to Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, and Erroll Garner, and learned the lyrics of the standards. Stella can't read music, knew nothing about song structure or A/B sections, let alone any vocal exercises. But her ambition grew, and the more she listened to Billie Holiday, it became crystal clear to her: she had done everything in show business one could do except... be the star herself, and that was now her deepest desire. To the great dismay of all her friends and family members, except her father, Stella set out to become a singer. Stella was very lucky; little by little, she met musicians who were willing to share some of their knowledge with her. Sometimes, even small details took months until Stella understood how, when, and why a song was structured. She didn't give up and discovered that she, too, had fallen under the spell of jazz, just like her mother had.

“Jazz is the only music that can set my mind free, as well as riding my horses.”

“Never ask me how old I am, because I will always answer:

‘I’m 33 years old until I’m 380, and then I’m 36
years old for the next 380 years.’”

“Jazz fills me with love, like a ride through a forest on a balmy summer day.” Stella C. Walker is on her own unique path in interpreting standards; she can’t simply be pigeonholed, so you can’t say she’s like this one or that one. Stella C. Walker is simply…"

Stella