Ralf Bendix

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Shellac record from 1956: It was called Mary Ann

Ralf Bendix , actually Karl Heinz Schwab , (born August 16, 1924 in Dortmund ; † September 1, 2014 in Stansstad -Fürigen, Switzerland ) was a German pop singer , producer , composer and lyricist .

biography

Even as a soldier and as an American prisoner of war, Bendix played the modern music of the time in bands. First he began his studies - which he financed with performances as a guitarist in the Frankfurt Jazzkeller - as a lawyer and economist , which he called Dr. rer. pole. Graduated in 1952. He then became the head of the Düsseldorf offices of the airline Trans World Airlines appointed. Although he had been in the business as a pop singer for seven years, he did this job until 1962.

The artistic career began in 1955 with an appearance as a singer on a regional television show in Pittsburgh, USA . In the same year he was also discovered for the German music market at the young talent competition “Die große Chance”; his successful appearance was rewarded with a record deal with Electrola through the mediation of Paul Kuhn . The commitment of the music label quickly paid off, because as early as June 1956 Ralf Bendix, now his artist name , was first  listed in the German hit parades with the title She was called Mary-Ann  - a cover version of Sixteen Tons with German lyrics by Peter Moesser and rose to 2nd place. In 1957 he sang the theme song for the submarine film Sharks and Small Fish . In 1958, he took on a role alongside Fred Bertelmann in the music film The Laughing Vagabond , where he sang the hit Die Sonne von Andalucia .

Furthermore, Ralf Bendix appeared under the pseudonym "Johnny Guitar" and released a total of four more singles on Electrola. Electrola also released a single with the song Weit von Alaska , again under Ralf Bendix, which was used in the opening credits of the German theatrical version of the Western Land of a Thousand Adventures .

In the following years, songs he sang, mostly German versions of Italian and American hits, appeared in the German hit lists a total of 24 times. His most successful interpretation was the self-produced German cover version of the babysitter boogie , with which he was noted for five weeks after the publication in April 1961 at number one and which earned him a gold record . The original, Baby Sittin 'Boogie , was published in January 1961 in the USA by Buzz Clifford and received a German text from Joachim Relin . Even the baby voices were re-recorded, little Elisabeth was the daughter of Electrola producer Hans Bertram. With this joke, he had constant success until 1964. In 1964, Ralf Bendix had another success in the Schlager parades with the hit Schaffe, create, build Häusle , which became something of an evergreen. In 1965 Ralf Bendix was on the show One Will Win with Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff for many months as part of a quiz with the song The Black Suitcase . The aim was to guess what the stranger in his suitcase was showing women all over Germany and how they reacted. A razor was recommended. Ultimately, it was received by a viewer in the audience. The winner of all correspondence with the correct answer received 100,000 DM. This information is based on the memory of the program seen and cannot yet be substantiated by facts. In 1967 Ralf Bendix started again with his hit " Aber you in your four-poster bed" . Here, too, it must be noted that it is a success in the hit parades. Ralf Bendix did not make it into the official charts. Ralf Bendix proved his serious side with the Germanization of American gospel songs and new sacred songs ; his attempt to create a new fashion dance with Tumba Tumbala in 1972, however, was not crowned with success. Other activities were more successful: From the late 1960s, Ralf Bendix made a name for himself as a producer and talent scout . One of his discoveries in 1965 was Heino , which was also produced by Bendix.

After retiring from show business , Ralf Bendix lived in Monaco and Florida and then in Switzerland . Bendix died there on September 1, 2014 at the age of 90.

Discography

Feature film overview

Television appearances

  • 1985: WWF Club (TV series)
  • 1970: Snack (TV series)
  • 1966–1970: The Turntable (TV series)
  • 1970: Star Parade (TV series)
  • 1969: Forget-Me-Not (TV series)
  • 1967–1974: Haifischbar (TV series)
  • 1966: From tomorrow we will have humor (TV movie)
  • 1966: Music from Studio B (TV series)
  • 1966: The next vacation is sure to come (TV movie)
  • 1965: several appearances in One Will Win (quiz series)
  • 1965: The best of the first (TV movie)
  • 1965: German Schlager Festival 1965 (TV movie)
  • 1965: Gala 65 (TV movie)
  • 1964: Show back - look here (TV movie)
  • 1963: Beach Whispers (TV movie)
  • 1962: German Schlager Festival 1962 (TV movie)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Article in the online magazine smago!
  2. Arno Ehring: Heino mourns his discoverer. In: Express . September 7, 2014 (accessed September 11, 2014).