Bill Ramsey

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Bill Ramsey, 2005

William "Bill" McCreery Ramsey (born April 17, 1931 in Cincinnati , Ohio ; † July 2, 2021 in Hamburg ) was an American - German jazz and pop singer , journalist, radio presenter and actor . It became popular in the 1960s with German-language hits such as souvenirs , sugar dolls (from the belly dance troupe), Mimi never goes to bed without a thriller or Pigalle (The Great Mousetrap) , but his real genres have always been jazz,Swing and Blues .

Life

Youth and education

Bill Ramsey, the son of a teacher and an advertising manager, sang in a college dance band when he was young. When he began to study sociology and economics at Yale University in New Haven from 1949 to 1951 , he sang jazz , swing and blues on the side. His role models included Count Basie , Nat King Cole , Duke Ellington and, above all, Louis Jordan .

Military service

Because of the Korean War , general conscription was reintroduced in the USA and Ramsey had to do his service in the United States Air Force in Germany . During this time he also appeared in clubs and was seen by an employee of the AFN soldier broadcaster in the then famous and still existing Jazzkeller in Frankfurt am Main and employed as an employee in the area of GI support . There Ramsey became chief producer and, although still in the service of the Air Force, had more time to appear at festivals.

From 1953 he appeared at jazz events with Ernst Mosch , Paul Kuhn , Kurt Edelhagen and James Last, among others . The jazz pianist and music producer Heinz Gietz arranged for Ramsey to appear on the Hessischer Rundfunk in 1955 and engaged him for playback recordings for the music film Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager with Peter Alexander and Caterina Valente . After completing his military service, he continued his studies in his home country and from 1957 in Frankfurt.

Career in Germany

In 1958 the producer Heinz Gietz offered him a recording contract , and that same year Ramsey's first single was released by Polydor . The hits on it became a small success and thus established the style with which the "man with the black voice" was able to land numerous sales successes and catchy tunes from now on. With souvenirs Ramsey conquered the top of the German charts in 1959. In 1960 he reached place 39 in the top 50 of the specialist journal Musikmarkt with the foxtrot Gina, Gina by Heinz Gietz . His next number one hit came in 1961 with Pigalle (The Big Mouse Trap) .

His music was based on the hits of Anglo-American pop music of the time . Ramsey's hits published in the 1950s and 1960s included German-language covers by Hank Ballard , The Beatles , Fats Domino , Ivory Joe Hunter , Roger Miller , Elvis Presley , Jimmie Rodgers , Andy Williams , Sheb Wooley and others. There were also numerous originals, which were initially composed almost exclusively by Heinz Gietz. The ironic texts , preferably by Kurt Feltz or Hans Bradtke , often commented on current affairs .

In 1962, Ramsey and producer Gietz moved to the Columbia label of the EMI Group , where he was initially able to continue his success. Until the mid-1960s, when beat music significantly reduced the hit market, Ramsey was regularly represented in the German single charts . His popularity also gave him numerous appearances in film and television, where he was seen as a singer and in comic supporting roles.

From the second half of the 1960s, Ramsey recorded mostly English-language songs and devoted himself primarily to jazz and blues. In the musically varied decade, however, operettas , musicals and beat titles as well as an LP with children's songs by Ramsey were released. In 1966 Ramsey switched to Heinz Gietz 'record company Cornet and in the same year again to Polydor. Since the 1970s, Ramsey's numerous new and re-releases have appeared under various labels. He still appeared regularly as a hit and jazz singer, including. in a duo with the guitarist Juraj Galan , with whom he presented several records. The LP of the duo Live im Unterhaus won the German Record Critics' Prize . In 2008 and 2009 he was a. with Max Greger and Hugo Strasser as "swing legends" on tour. From 2005 he played a weekly guest game in Vienna's Jazzland - permanent members of his band were: Martin Breinschmid vib, Richard Oesterreicher hm, Gerd Bienert g and Herbert Swoboda p & cl. On the occasion of his 85th birthday, Ramsey released the double CD My Words in 2016 .

Film, radio and television

Bill Ramsey starred in about 30 films, had countless television appearances and tours through Europe, the USA and North Africa . Among other things, he moderated the television programs Schlager für Schlappohren (1971), Talentschuppen (1974 to 1980) and Show ohne Schuh ' (1973 to 1982). For many years he was a lecturer at the Hamburg University of Music and Performing Arts . From the end of the 1980s he moderated the program Swingtime at hr2 Kultur (as the successor to the swing party, one of the oldest radio programs on ARD , which celebrated its 60th birthday in May 2018). The last edition was broadcast on March 1, 2019 because Ramsey gave up moderation for reasons of age.

Private life

Ramsey lived in Zurich for almost 20 years , later in Wiesbaden and since 1991 with his fourth wife Petra in Hamburg . He had been a German citizen since 1984 . His wife was a doctor, but also worked as a manager for Ramsey.

Trivia

In the 1950s Ramsey lived in the Frankfurt Pension Noelle. His roommate was Rosemarie Nitribitt , who, according to his memories, "kept blocking the shared bathroom for hours and ate the refrigerator empty". In connection with her subsequent death, Ramsey was also questioned by the police.

Filmography

Discography (selection)

Singles

Single Yes, Fanny, I'm Doing This, 1958
Single wumba-tumba chocolate ice cream seller, 1958
Single Caldonia, 1959
Single Pigalle (The Great Mousetrap), 1961
Single Bossa Nova Baby, 1964
year title Chart positions ( DE ) Label / catalog number
1958 Yes, Fanny, I'm doing that.
Such a stroll in Tyrol 		Polydor NH 23 738
1958 Wumba-Tumba chocolate ice cream seller
Casa Bambu 		4th Polydor NH 23 883
1959 He was from the Constantinople Choral Society of
Cecilia 		Polydor NH 24 002
1959 Souvenirs
Don't do a heck-meck 		1 Polydor NH 24 037
1959 Caldonia
Big Fat Mama 		Columbia C21 261
1959 Sailors can anchor here
Go Man Go 		Polydor NH 24 090
1960 Go Man Go (English)
Rockin 'Mountain 		Polydor NH 66 812
1960 Telephone from Paris
Gina, Gina 		39 Polydor NH 24 211
1960 A different party every day
The world is round 		Polydor NH 24 330
1961 Pigalle (The Great Mousetrap)
Café Oriental 		1 Polydor NH 24 428
1961 Telefon fra Paris (Danish)
Pigalle (Danish) 		Polydor NH 22 974
1961 I am always drawn to her (with Peter Alexander)
Missouri Cowboy (with Peter Alexander) 		10 Polydor NH 24 437
1961 Sugar doll (from the belly dance troupe)
The girl with the exciting walk 		5 Polydor NH 24 553
1961 Life is great.
I've tried both - no comparison 		45 Polydor NH 24 616
1962 Nothing against the women (with Bibi Johns )
Take a picture of it 		25th Polydor NH 24 663
1962 Old Jonny was a child prodigy
Hilly Billy Banjo Bill 		47 Polydor NH 24 774
1962 Brauner Señor Mexicano (with Peter Alexander)
No time and no money (with Peter Alexander) 		Polydor NH 24 915
1962 Without Crime Mimi never goes to bed
Flotter steamer 		3 Columbia C22 197
1962 Mimi Needs A Thriller When She Goes To Bed
Sailors Need A Girl In Every Port 		Columbia F 4948
1963 Masked ball at Scotland Yard
Hello, Boss, Hello 		8th Columbia C22 333
1963 Do you tell everything to your wife (with Chris Howland )
Two old friends (with Chris Howland) 		Columbia C22 397
1963 Parlez-vous Francais?
Canary blues 		51 Columbia C22 456
1963 Molly
firewater and love 		Columbia C22 512
1963 There is always trouble (with Peter Weck )
Well, well? (only Peter Weck) 		Electrola E 22 515
1964 Bossa Nova Baby
Who's called Jonny here? 		14th Columbia C22 635
1964 I'm not a comfortable worker,
Captain Brown from Clipper 107 		Columbia C22 689
1964 A student from Heidelberg
Beautiful girls like it 		21 Columbia C22 701
1964 Zicke Zacke Hoi
When I hear violins, I cry 		Columbia C22 842
1965 Chug-a-lug
What can I do for it 		Columbia C22 884
1965 I'm just a tramp
kiss me candy 		Columbia C22 888
1965 Crazy Cowboy Grand Hotel
Underwater 		Columbia C23 012
1966 Fat Man (& The Jay Five)
What You Gonna Do Now Girl (& The Jay Five) 		Cornet 3012
1966 Hollywood rocking song
Le Tour de France 		Polydor 52 699
1966 Yellow Submarine
Find something love 		Polydor 52,725
1967 Lemonade would have been better
if the big crocodiles nodded 		Polydor 52 770
1967 Body Building Bill from Boston
No, no - not like that! 		Polydor 52 874
1968 Otto is keen on women
Don't fall in love with a hippie girl 		Polydor 53 043
1968 Piccadilly Circus
The world that's broken 		Polydor 53 066
circa 1968 Blue-Eyed Lady (& The Jay Five with Bruno Spoerri )
Early in the Morning (& The Jay Five with Bruno Spoerri) 		Heco S 45 007
1969 Board Games (as William Ramsey III )
A Magical Summer (as William Ramsey III ) 		Polydor 53 130
1969 Sing a Little Song of Peace (as William Ramsey III )
Bye, bye, Sadie (as William Ramsey III ) 		Polydor 53 155
1970 Hashish Halef Omar
High And Happy 		Cornet 3165
1993 Try it with comfort (Jungle Book Groove)
Try it with comfort (Jungle Book Groove Jungle Club Mix)
Theme from Panic At The Jungle 		ZYX Music 706012

EPs

LPs

CDs

  • Caldonia and more… (Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1957, 1966 and 1980
  • Souvenirs (1992; Bear Family Records ), contains recordings from 1958 to 1961
  • Mimi never goes to bed without a crime thriller (1994; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1962 to 1965
  • Ballads And Blues / Songs From Home (with Paul Kuhn; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1965
  • The Other Side - A Dedication to Nat King Cole (Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1975 to 1977
  • On the Spot (with Dieter Reith; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1977
  • When I See You (with Toots Thielemans ; Bell Records), contains recordings from 1979 to 1980
  • Underneath the Apple Tree (with Juraj Galan; Tyrostar), contains recordings from 1983 and 1984
  • Relapse (1990; Papagayo)
  • Gettin 'Back To Swing (& The SDR Big Band, conducted by Dieter Reith; 1994; Bear Family Records)
  • Hamburg, nobody is like you (CD-Maxi; 1999; Bear Family Records)
  • Ballads, Streets & Blues (with Peter Less and the Achim-Kück-Trio ; 2001; Mons Records)
  • Big Band Boogie (with the Thilo Wolf Big Band; 2002; Mons Records)
  • Send In The Clowns (with Jean-Louis Rassinfosse ; 2005; Swingland Records)
  • Here's To Life - Here's To Joe (with the hr big band , conductor: Jörg Achim Keller ; 2006; HR music)
  • Ramsey Swings! (4-CD box; 2011; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1958 to 1999
  • My Words (double CD; 2016; Bear Family Records)

Awards

  • 2020: Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon

literature

Web links

Commons : Bill Ramsey  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ On the death of Bill Ramsey, with an appreciation from Götz Alsmann. In: bear-family.de. July 5, 2021, accessed July 5, 2021 .
  2. ↑ Show without a shoe '. In: fernsehserien.de.
  3. ↑ Bill Ramsey quits hr2 Swingtime after 30 years. In: radioszene.de. February 25, 2019.
  4. ↑ He fell asleep peacefully at home. Bill Ramsey died at the age of 90. In: Bild.de. July 5, 2021.
  5. ↑ Mourning for pop star: Schlager legend Bill Ramsey († 90) died. In: RTL.de. July 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ A short life in the fast lane. ( Memento of August 7, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: General-Anzeiger-Bonn.de. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  7. ↑ We post-war children. ( Memento of December 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). ZDF documentation.
  8. ↑ The Nitribitt kink. ( Memento of August 7, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  9. ↑ Honor. Bill Ramsey was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon. In: hamburg.de. February 21, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME Ramsey, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ramsey, William McCreery
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American-German jazz and pop singer, journalist, radio presenter and actor
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Cincinnati , Ohio
DATE OF DEATH July 2, 2021
Place of death Hamburg