Rockin 'Roary

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rockin 'Roary , bourgeois: Hans Erich Westermann , (born November 20, 1950 in Cologne ; † July 28, 2009 there ) was a German singer , bassist and composer .

Musical career

Early years

Roary began his musical career in 1957 as a singer in his father's band, the "Eric West Big Band". During his school days he was taught professional vocal technique, composition , as well as the instruments drums , guitar , trumpet and bass guitar. From 1966 he traveled the world and performed in different places. First with his own bands: "Westwind", "Deadmans Row" and "Highway". Later, as the “One Man Show”, he was nicknamed “The Travelin Man”. He played with world-famous bands and musicians such as " Rick Nelson & Stone Canon Band", " Creedence Clearwater Revival ", " The Beach Boys ", " Jack Bruce ", " The Searchers ", " The Doors ", " Chris Andrews ", " Dave Dee ”and“ The Equals ”, which gradually crossed his paths and drew his inspiration from this type of music, whereby country rock emerged as his own style.

In the mid-1960s he released the track "Hello, Mary Lou" with an Amsterdam record company, which achieved respectable success in the Netherlands, but failed to score in Germany because of the simultaneous recording of Rick Nelson and the German cover version of Jan and Kjeld.

Roary settled in Cologne again, started a family and limited himself for some time to writing and composing songs for other artists.

The 1990s

At the beginning of the 1990s he started a comeback: after a long time he wrote tracks for himself again, tried his hand at various record companies, all of which thankfully refused the music genre "country rock". Finally he applied to the then still young label CRI-LEX Records in Bamberg, Franconia . The label , which set this type of music as a priority, signed him.

In the spring of 1993 the album "The Guard Of Rock'n Roll" was produced, a homage to all the great artists of the 1960s, such as "The Beach Boys" and "CCR". With this album Roary started a tour through Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands in 1994 . For the music genre "Country-Rock" the album sold quite well in these European countries. But Roary wanted more. He revived his old contacts in the USA and, with the help of the promoter and producer Mike Wadell, managed to complete a radio promotion tour there. In Nashville, he finally appeared on stage with Willie Nelson in the Grand Ole Opry .

Mike Wadell's label Five-Star-Records took over the license for the album, which made gold in the USA in October 1995.

This was followed by further productions at CRI-LEX in Germany, including 1995 - Travelin Man (an album with all cover titles from the 1960s) 1997 - Rockin 'up the Country (an EP CD with six titles) 1999 - Heroes (a sampler , on which the legendary The Animals are represented.) In 1995 Roary was the first German artist to receive the “Eagle King Award” in Nashville in the following categories: International Entertainer Of The Year 1994–1995 International Artist Of The Year 1994–1995 as well as the title "Trailblazer of Countryrock" for his life's work. Furthermore, in autumn 1998 he was inducted into the “Rockabilly Hall of Fame” as “Legend Of Rockabilly”, in which artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were already represented.

In addition, the CRI-LEX label and producer Chris Mike received the award: “Best Independent Single Of The Year” for the EP “Rockin'Up The Country”.

In 1998 he produced other artists with his long-time musician friend Chris Mike , such as B. the actress Nadine Spruß from Lindenstrasse .

The 2000s

At the beginning of the new millennium, things calmed down around Roary, who was struggling with personal and health problems. In the summer of 2003 , he seriously injured his spine in a car accident after a gig and from then on was dependent on a wheelchair, but was able to walk again after several operations.

He wrote and composed songs again, went back to the studio in spring 2007 and produced the single "Don't Accuse Me" as well as a "Christmas album", with which he made an old dream come true.

The following tour in 2007 and 2008 through China and Asia was also the last.

At the beginning of July 2009 he again suffered a severe stroke , the consequences of which ultimately died on July 28, 2009 in a Cologne clinic. The funeral took place in private. On August 19, 2009 , his urn was handed over to the North Sea near The Hague (NL) .

Discography

As a solo artist

  • 1967: Hello, Mary Lou
  • 1968: Stood Up
  • 1994: The Guard Of Rock´n Roll (CD-Album / MC TMK / CRI-LEX Records)
  • 2010: Are You Ready For Rock? Posthumous publication of previously unpublished titles
  • 2018: Born On The River (Compilation Countryrock Vol.15, ZYX Music)

With "Thunder-The Legend"

  • 1997: Travelin Man, (CD-Album, MC, CRI-LEX Records)
  • 1997: That's Country & Western (CD compilation, MC, CRI-LEX Records)
  • 2007: Don't Accuse Me (Maxi-CD, CRI-LEX Records)
  • 2007: Silent Night (Christmas album, CRI-LEX Records)

With the "Stone Valley Band"

  • 1997: Rockin´Up The Country (Maxi-CD, TMK / CRI-LEX records)
  • 1998: I Am The Love (Single, CRI-LEX Records)
  • 1999: Heroes (Sampler, CRI-LEX Records)
  • 2002: Musical memories

With the singer "Barbara Portland" (style country )

  • 1999: Country Classics

Awards

  • 1994: CD album "The Guard Of Rock'n Roll" was in the United States with Gold Award
  • 1995: King Eagle Award category "International Entertainer of The Year 1994–1995"
  • 1995: King Eagle Award category "International Artist of The Year 1994–1995"
  • 1995: King Eagle Award "Trailblazer Of Countryrock"
  • 1995: Admission as "Legend Of Rockabilly" into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame "

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Roary, rockin '
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Westermann, Hans Erich (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German singer, bassist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Cologne
DATE OF DEATH July 28, 2009
Place of death Cologne