Madleen Kane, born Madeleine Flerkell on 4 March 1958 in Malmö, Sweden, began her career as a fashion model, working for the German magazine Burda Moden and appearing in Playboy in 1978 and 1979. Her transition to music was marked by the release of the single "Rough Diamond" in 1978, which entered the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and established her as a disco‑pop vocalist. In 1979, the single "Forbidden Love" from the album Cheri peaked at number 18 on the Swedish charts and reached the top ten on the US dance chart, while the follow‑up single "You and I" entered the Billboard Hot 100. The 1981 album Don't Wanna Lose You produced the club hit "You Can", which topped the Billboard Dance chart for three weeks and reached number 77 on the Hot 100 in February 1982. Subsequent releases included the album Sounds of Love (1980) and the album Cover Girl (1985), the latter yielding the dance hit "I'm No Angel". After the 1994 compilation 12 Inches and More, Madleen Kane withdrew from the public eye to focus on family. Her career remains noted for multiple US dance chart successes and a sustained presence in the late‑70s and early‑80s European pop scene.
