Joana Zimmer (born October 27, 1982, in Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany) is a German pop singer, songwriter, and television personality. Blind from birth, she developed her musical abilities at an early age and became known for a powerful, versatile voice that allowed her to move between contemporary pop, adult-oriented ballads, jazz, and standards.
Zimmer spent part of her early childhood in the United States and the United Kingdom before returning to Germany with her family at the age of four. She received piano instruction and sang in a Berlin choir, while jazz became an important influence during her formative years. As a teenager, she performed with school bands and began appearing in Berlin jazz clubs at 15. She also gained early experience in theater, cabaret, and television, but music soon became her main professional focus.
After financing demo recordings through live performances and occasional modeling work, Zimmer came to the attention of Universal Music in 2004. Her first major release, "I Believe (Give a Little Bit)," arrived in 2005. The song was a cover of a 1993 recording by Marcella Detroit and became Zimmer's commercial breakthrough, reaching number two on the German singles chart and charting in several other European countries. Her debut album, My Innermost, followed that year and reached number five in Germany. The album brought together international songwriters and producers, including Burt Bacharach, Gary Barlow, Andreas Carlsson, and Nik Kershaw.
Zimmer continued her early success with "I've Learned to Walk Alone" and "Let's Make History," a duet with Spanish singer David Bisbal. The latter also underlined her international orientation, while her collaborations and polished productions positioned her within the mainstream European pop market. Her second album, The Voice in Me, was released in 2006 and reached the German, Austrian, and Swiss album charts. The record included the singles "Bringing Down the Moon" and "This Is My Life," the latter serving as the title song for the German television serial Rote Rosen.
With Showtime in 2008, Zimmer shifted toward reinterpretations of songs associated with the 1970s and 1980s. The album included material connected with artists such as Billy Joel and George Michael, alongside collaborations involving Xavier Naidoo, Stefan Gwildis, and Boyz II Men. She presented songs from the project at benefit concerts supporting the Christoffel-Blindenmission, an organization with which she has also been associated as an ambassador.
Her fourth album, Miss JZ, appeared in 2010 after recording work in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. During this period, Zimmer also contributed to the documentary film Lost in the Crowd and returned to Rote Rosen for a guest appearance. Her fifth studio album, Not Looking Back, followed in 2012 and included her version of Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)."
Zimmer has remained active beyond album releases. In 2012, she competed on the German version of Let's Dance, partnered by professional dancer Christian Polanc, reaching the quarterfinal stage. In 2022, she appeared on The Masked Singer Germany as the character Galax'Sis and was unmasked during the fourth episode. That same year, she released the single "Just Hold Me Now." Across her career, Zimmer has combined chart-oriented pop with live performance, television work, and advocacy, while maintaining a distinctive place in German popular music.