Vaikule was born on 31 March 1954, in
Cēsis, Latvia. Her parents moved to
Riga when she was three. Young Laima was fond of music and dancing. In 1966, at the age of 12, she took part in a competition of young singers and was noticed. Between 1970 and 1973, she studied
nursing at the Vilnius Medical College, while also continuing to sing with a band. Eventually, she became a lead singer with a local band in
Riga,
Latvia and worked night gigs at local clubs and restaurants for several years. In the 1980s she studied acting and directing at Moscow
State Institute for Theatrical Arts (GITIS), graduating as actress and director. In 1985, Laima Vaikule made her first hit in the Soviet Union. Since 1986, Vaikule has been enjoying a fruitful collaboration with popular Latvian composer,
Raimonds Pauls, and Russian poet
Ilya Reznik, who wrote such hits as "Vernisage", "Charlie" and "Skripach na kryshe" ("Fiddler on the roof"). She is among the original organizers of the
Jurmala Festival of popular music, along with Raimonds Pauls. During the 1980s and 1990s Laima Vaikule was a regular participant at international music competitions and festivals across Europe. Vaikule was awarded the Golden Lyra at the 1987
Bratislavská lýra, was a guest singer and a host at "
Jurmala 92" festival, and also took part at "AU music world" in Monaco, among other festivals and competitions. She was awarded the title Peoples Artist of Latvia (1995) and the
Grand Music Award (1996) for her special contribution to the music and culture of Latvia. == Personal life ==