Rolf Zuckowski
Rolf Zuckowski (born May 12, 1947 in Hamburg ) is a German musician , composer , music producer and author of children's songs . With over 20 million records sold, Zuckowski is one of the most commercially successful artists in Germany .
Life
Until 1980
Rolf Zuckowski is the son of a seaman and a hairdresser. In 1961 his father gave him a guitar. As a member of the school band The Beathovens of the Albrecht-Thaer-Gymnasium in Hamburg, which he attended, Zuckowski was a singer and guitarist; there he gained his first experience in music in 1965. His first album - Happy to be happy - marked the beginning of his music career in 1967. In the same year he began studying business administration in Hamburg, which he graduated with a diploma in 1972. In 1971, Zuckowski's wife Monika gave birth to their first child, Anuschka. In 1972, Zuckowski became the management assistant at the music publishing house Hans Sikorski . In 1974 his son Alexander was born.
Zuckowski celebrated success as a producer, songwriter and conductor at the Eurovision Song Contest with the Swiss band Peter, Sue & Marc . He also wrote texts for numerous other artists. Inspired by life with his children, he set the pictures of his friend Peter Meetz, a former member and drummer of his first band The Beathovens , to music in 1974 . So in 1977 the Singspiel Rolfs Vogelhochzeit was created . In 1978 he gave his first concerts in schools and kindergartens in Lower Saxony. This was followed by the publication of Rolf's Schulweg hit parade in 1979 in collaboration with the “ Ein Herz für Kinder ” campaign, the German Road Safety Council and the German Traffic Guard, and the first nationwide tour that followed in 1980 for the “Kind und Verkehr” and “Ein Herz für Children". He composed the songs for the radio play series Kerlchen and Die große Reise by Alfred Krink .
1980s
Rolf and his friends became known from 1981 with the song Du da on the radio and the LP / MC Radio Lollipop on the radio and with their own radio series Hallo du da on Radio Luxemburg . Also in 1981 Zuckowski succeeded Georg Bossert and Anke Engelke as the presenter of the children's program Moment mal on Radio Luxemburg. The song ... and very doll me , a cover version of the song I like by Volker Lechtenbrink , was published in 1982 in Wetten, dass ..? presents. Rolf and his friends became popular nationwide. The album Songs That Are Like Bridges was released and became a trademark for the work of Rolf Zuckowski. He reached number 1 in the ZDF hit parade with ... and very much me . A new album followed: We are waiting for Christmas .
In 1983 Zuckowski designed the concept album Tabaluga for Peter Maffay and wrote titles for it, including Nessaja (I never wanted to grow up). He also produced his new album What is fun . Zuckowski developed the Big Show for Little People in 1984 , which was broadcast on ZDF . ... and really I got into the Guinness Book of Records with 3776 lines written by children as "the longest song in the world" . In the same year Zuckowski's son Andreas was born. In 1987 a new television series called Singing is Fun with twelve episodes started on ZDF. The song In the Christmas Bakery was published in 1987 in Wetten, dass ..? presented and overnight to the new folk song. In cooperation with the Finkwarder Speeldeel , the album HH was created in 1989 for the 800th port birthday . Rolf Zuckowski was also the narrator for The Great Adventure Music , a classic series for children.
1990s
Rolf's Vogelhochzeit was broadcast on ZDF in 1990. After the reunification of Germany , Zuckowski also gave his first concerts in the former GDR , such as in Plauen , Schwerin and Erfurt . The song cycle Die Jahresuhr was published in 1992 and filmed by ZDF as Rolf's song calendar , as was the new hit parade on the way to school , and soon published as a video. Rolf Zuckowski received the Christophorus Prize of the Road Safety Council for both the CD and the TV version of the school route hit parade . This was followed by a nationwide tour with the new school route hit parade in 1993. In November, the album Dezembertäume was released , in which the “little friends” from 1982 were back as young adults. In 1994 Rolf Zuckowski received the German Record Award Echo . The ZDF filmed the December dreams . With Zuckowski's new album You need a song , the record label "Musik für Dich" was officially launched at Polydor in September. The first live video was made on a 36-day tour. With the book My Songs - My Friends , the music publisher Hans Sikorski published an interim balance sheet by Zuckowski with memories from 1974 to 1994.
After more than 15 years of uninterrupted touring activity, Rolf Zuckowski's first year off began in 1996. This year the album Die Liederbüchermaus was created with the most popular children's folk songs . In Gerstenberg Verlag the first three editions published a picture book series to Zuckowskis songs titled Colorful songs stories . Rolf Zuckowski discovered Julia Ginsbach as an illustrator . The twelve song stories were compiled on a sampler CD. “Musik für Dich” also published the first two episodes of Rale's musical fairy tale with the “ Bremer Stadtmusikanten ” and “ Frau Holle ”. In November the album Silent Nights was released - bright light with songs for Advent, Christmas and the time between the years , sung by Rolf Zuckowski and his “big friends”. One year later, Der Spielmann - Das Beste aus 20 Jahre , a double album with the most played songs from concerts, radio and television, was released. Gerstenberg Verlag published six more editions of the colorful song stories series of picture books . The series of Rale's musical tales with the frog prince was continued in autumn . Rolf Zuckowski put together the album Christmas Time in Kindergarten especially for the little ones . For his 50th birthday on May 12, 1997, the ZDF organized a big "birthday show" hosted by Gregor Steinbrenner .
In the spring of 1998, three more songbooks completed the book series Colorful Song Stories . ZDF filmed the songbooks and broadcast them from November. In June, Zuckowski's new album Gute Laune - Gute Fahrt für die Reise (Go on Vacation) was released. On this album, Rolf Zuckowski introduced Die Rinks as a guest , whose debut album Here Come the Rinks was released in autumn. Rolf Zuckowski presented his children's and family festival on the Moselle in Bernkastel-Kues with the title “Days full of happy minutes”. In autumn, the album Animals need friends was released , on which Rolf Zuckowski presented Nena , Die Prinzen and many other musical friends. King Drosselbart also appeared in autumn as a continuation of the Rale musical fairy tale series . In 1999 Zuckowski presented the musical radio play Der kleine Tag , a joint effort with Hans Niehaus and Wolfram Eicke . On August 28 and September 4, 1999, the ZDF presented a “Live Family Concert” from Lerchenberg in Mainz. There Zuckowski performed together with guest choirs, a. a. The Rinks, his little and big friends and his band. At the ceremony for the Day of German Unity on October 3, 1999, he and his friends sang the song “Germany, your children”.
2000s
In 2000 Zuckowski made guest appearances in 15 Cinemaxx cinemas nationwide and each presented three of his filmed colorful song stories on the big screen. At the same time, all 12 colorful song stories appeared on video and DVD . In July, Rolf Zuckowski started a tour under the motto “We here on the Elbe”. In July, the album for the tour entitled Elbkinder was released in parallel . On October 2nd, the adult album titled Children Get Big was released. First concerts for adults followed in the same year. In November 2000 Zuckowski was presented with the “ German Music Prize 2000” on the ZDF show Showpalast for his services as a composer, lyricist, interpreter and music producer for the songs for the younger generations of children.
During a tour of Australia, Zuckowski also led several seminars in various public institutions, such as B. Schools and Goethe Institutes .
With the publication of Rolf's rabbit story in March 2001, Rolf Zuckowski started working with the Coppenrath publishing house in Münster . A picture book for the CD / MC of the same name was published with illustrations by Julia Ginsbach. The music book Rolfs Hasengeschichte was published by the music publisher Sikorski. At Christmas the new picture book Guten Tag, I am Nikolaus and an instrumental CD In the Christmas Bakery with the most beautiful Christmas carols appeared.
The 160-page picture-book CD of 12 colorful song stories was published in 2002 for the special edition Children Need Dreams , which contained all of the picture books by Julia Ginsbach and Rolf Zuckowski previously published by Gerstenberg Verlag. The puppet cartoon Rolf's Rabbit Story also premiered on ZDF and was released on VHS on “Musik für Dich”. On this occasion, the ZDF honored the 20 years of collaboration with Rolf Zuckowski with a special press presentation. In April the CD / video project for more road safety was launched. Look, listen, join in! presented to the public. The two-part video for the CD was also broadcast on ZDF and appeared on VHS on “Musik für dich”. With great success Zuckowski gave two concerts in the Balver Höhle for his adult audience, where the first recordings for a live CD were made.
In 2003, “Musik für Dich” published a compilation of the most beautiful “fun songs” by Rolf and the Bavarian duo Sternschnuppe . About the CD What a fun! ZDF broadcast a program of the same name. In March the CD Die Bavarian Vogelhochzeit was released , a Bavarian interpretation of the Vogelhochzeit by the band Sternschnuppe.
In the first half of 2004, Zuckowski went on a major tour of Germany with Michael Gundlach and presented his current children's and family program. The tour included 139 sing-along concerts. A primary school in Lindenberg in Brandenburg has been named after him since 2004 .
In March 2006, Rolf Zuckowski started his new evening concert series for three generations in Schleswig-Holstein, “Has everything, its time”. For the 20th anniversary of the Hamburg / Shanghai city partnership , the musician traveled to the Chinese twin city in May. During his stay, “Rolf's German-Chinese Bird Wedding” premiered there with over 150 German and Chinese children. In September the Kikotem children's choir , the first Guatemalan choir to visit Europe, came to Germany. Rolf Zuckowski had invited to the special German-Guatemalan cultural exchange for children. The highlight of the meeting were the joint concerts with a performance of Rolf Zuckowski's songs in Spanish. In October the third CD picture book appeared in collaboration with the illustrator Julia Ginsbach: “Rolf's colorful Advent calendar”.
In 2007 the artist celebrated his 60th birthday and in autumn published his autobiography 5 Years May together with the CD Leben ist mehr . At the request of the children, he received the international award as “ Cavalier of the Order of the Smile ” for the artistic promotion of German-Polish cooperation. On February 15, 2008 he received an echo for his life's work.
In 2009, a parody of the title In the Christmas Bakery appeared in the sketch show Dennis and Jesko . The interpreter was called Ralf Grabowski .
2010s
The big Elbe Tour 2010 began in the Czech Republic in May 2010 . Rolf Zuckowski sang with a total of 30 choirs at 17 locations during the tour, which lasted until September. Zuckowski and his colleagues from the non-profit association Elbkinderland e. V. thus built on the Elbtour 2000.
On December 1, 2012, he announced his retirement from show business in the program The Advent Festival of 100,000 Lights . From now on he wants to concentrate on other tasks such as B. advising and promoting young musicians. Since 2013 he has been part of the audience at Florian Silbereisen's Advent program live from Suhl , where he presents the projects he supports. His classic In der Christmas Bakery was reinterpreted there in 2015 by Otto Waalkes and in 2016 by André Rieu . Zuckowski continues to appear on special occasions, especially for charitable purposes. In 2016, he released the song "Mein Freund" with Peter Reber .
In 2017 Zuckowski completed 40 concerts all over Germany with the concert tour 40 Jahre Rolfmusik . "I would like to see friends and companions from 40 years, express my gratitude to them and get to know new ambassadors of my songs", says Rolf Zuckowski. The highlight of this anniversary tour was his appearance in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie with 16 Elbe children's choirs from Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as his band. Because of a broken ankle he did this concert in a wheelchair. Otto Waalkes appeared as a surprise guest. Singa Gätgens and Juri Tetzlaff from KiKA were moderators .
2020s
Since March 2020 he has been regularly posting videos from his attic (high above the Elbe) on his YouTube channel Rolf Zuckowski - Music for You . With his guitar he sings and tells how his songs were created and what he experienced with them.
social commitment
In February 2005 Rolf Zuckowski was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany . The award honored Rolf Zuckowski as someone who promotes the musical development of children. Another 56 sing-along concerts followed in October. In November, the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe awarded Rolf Zuckowski the “Bobby” media prize for special services to the recognition and acceptance of disabled people in society.
Since 2010 he has been the godfather of children's hospices, e. B. the children's hospice Bethel for terminally ill children.
In 2011, Rolf Zuckowski, together with his colleagues Detlev Jöcker and Volker Rosin, created the German Kita Music Prize, which aims to promote singing and making music in kindergartens. It was first awarded to eight selected daycare centers in Hamburg in October 2011.
Since 2017 he has been an honorary ambassador for the Von Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel .
In September 2018, Rolf Zuckowski was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class by the Federal President "for his many years of outstanding commitment to the position of children in our society" .
Discography
Studio albums
| year | Title pseudonym |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, pseudonym , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
|||
| Adult albums | |||
| 1985 | Time for children - time for us Rolf Zuckowski |
DE-  |
First published: 1985
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 1991 | Close-up of Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: April 16, 1991
|
| 1996 | Quiet Nights - Bright Light Rolf Zuckowski & his great friends |
DE28 (12 weeks) DE |
First published: November 4, 1996
|
| 2000 | Children grow up Rolf Zuckowski |
DE90 (1 week) DE |
First published: September 29, 2000
|
| 2005 | Everything has its time Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: September 5, 2005
|
| 2012 | quiet and strong Rolf Zuckowski |
DE80 (1 week) DE |
First published: March 16, 2012
|
| Children's albums | |||
| 1977 | Rolf's bird wedding Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE-  × 2
|
First published: 1977
Sales: + 1,000,000 |
| 1979 | Rolf's way to school hit parade Rolf Zuckowski |
DE- |
First published: 1979
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 1981 | Rolfs Radio Lollipop Rolf and his friends |
DE- |
First published: 1981
Sales: + 500,000 |
| 1982 | Songs that are like bridges Rolf and his friends |
DE- |
First published: 1982
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 1984 | Big show for little people Rolf and his friends |
- |
First published: 1984
|
| 1986 | Don't ask me a hole in my stomach Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE- |
First published: 1986
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 1989 | Strong children Rolf and his friends |
DE- |
First published: November 8, 1989
Sales: + 500,000 |
| 1990 | What is fun ... Rolf and his friends |
DE- |
First published: April 5, 1990
Sales: + 250,000 |
| I can do that! Rolf and his friends |
DE- |
First published: October 22, 1990
Sales: + 250,000 |
|
| We want sun Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE- |
First published: December 4, 1990
Sales: + 250,000 |
|
| 1992 | The annual clock Rolf and his friends |
DE32 (10 weeks)DE |
First published: March 12, 1992
Sales: + 500,000 |
| Rolf's new way to school hit parade Rolf Zuckowski |
DE46 × 3
(18 weeks)DE |
First published: July 27, 1992
Sales: + 750,000 |
|
| 1993 | Rolf's song calendar - Sing with us Rolf Zuckowski |
DE62 (9 weeks)DE |
First published: November 19, 1993
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 1994 | In the kindergarten Rolf and his friends |
DE- × 5
|
First published: May 31, 1994
Sales: + 1,250,000 |
| You need a song Rolf Zuckowski with his friends big and small |
DE40 (14 weeks)DE |
First published: September 9, 1994
Sales: + 250,000 |
|
| 1996 | Rolf's song book mouse Rolf Zuckowski |
DE71 (8 weeks)DE |
First published: October 4th, 1996
Sales: + 250,000 |
| 12 colorful song stories Rolf and his friends |
- |
First published: October 4th, 1996
Sales: + 250,000 |
|
| 1998 | Good mood - have a good trip Rolf and his friends |
DE78 (5 weeks) DE |
First published: May 29, 1998
|
| Animals need friends Rolf Zuckowski |
DE78 (2 weeks) DE |
First published: October 30, 1998
|
|
| 1999 |
The little day Rolf Zuckowski with Wolfram Eicke & Hans Niehaus |
DE90 (2 weeks) DE |
First published: October 1, 1999
Sales: + 150,000 |
| 2000 | Elbkinder Rolf Zuckowski with many small and large friends |
- |
First published: July 21, 2000
|
| 2001 | Rolf's rabbit story - I am strong Rolf Zuckowski |
DE30th (5 weeks)DE |
First published: March 2nd, 2001
Sales: + 300,000 |
| Grandma loves Grandpa Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
- |
First published: November 5, 2001
|
|
| 2002 | Children need dreams Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: March 6, 2002
|
| 2003 | Such a Gaudi Rolf Zuckowski meets shooting star |
- |
First published: February 17, 2003
|
| 2004 | Nobbi and the sun children Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
- |
First published: May 10, 2004
|
| Heia - Rolf's little night music Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: November 1, 2004
|
|
| 2005 | How nice that you were born Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE- |
First published: September 5, 2005
Sales: + 100,000 |
| Orchestra fun for Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: October 21, 2005
|
|
| 2006 | Summer children Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
- |
First published: June 2, 2006
|
| 2007 | Rolf's family summer party Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE- |
First published: 2007
Sales: + 100,000 |
| 2008 | My home - our blue planet Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
- |
First published: September 26, 2008
|
| 2009 | Red + Green - Look, listen, join in! Zuckowski - Beate Lambert - Ferri Feils |
- |
First published: July 31, 2009
|
| 2010 | Rolf's Children's Spring Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
DE98 (1 week)DE |
First published: February 26, 2010
Sales: + 100,000 |
| I can do that! Rolf Zuckowski and his friends |
- |
First published: October 1, 2010
|
|
| 2011 | Rolf's happy family day Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: March 18, 2011
|
| Then dare - 7 sounding wedding greetings Rolf Zuckowski |
- |
First published: July 8, 2011
|
|
The Beathovens
Rolf Zuckowski (guitar), Joachim Pauly (lead guitar), Michael Rick (bass), Peter Meetz (drums).
- 1964: Going To Beat / Oldtimer's Beat (Single)
- 1967: Blow-Up Machine / Sweet music (single)
- 1967: Happy to Be Happy (LP)
Awards
- 1992 Christophorus Prize from the German Road Safety Council for the school route hit parade
- ECHO Pop (1994)
- German Music Prize (2000)
- Paul Lincke Ring (2001)
- Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2005)
- Lebenshilfe -Medienpreis Bobby (2005, for the second time)
- Golden Tuning Fork Platinum Lifetime Award (2007)
- Cavalier of the Order of Smiles (2008)
- ECHO Pop as award for his life's work (2008)
- Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2017)
Web links
- Literature by and about Rolf Zuckowski in the catalog of the German National Library
- Rolf Harris in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Rolf Harris at Discogs (English)
- Official website
swell
- ^ Rolf Zuckowski: songs, language, equality, future on zeit.de
- ^ Rolf Zuckowski: 5 years in May. September 2007
- ^ Rolf Zuckowski: 5 years in May. September 2007, p. 29.
- ^ Rolf Zuckowski: 5 years in May. September 2007, p. 132.
- ↑ Official homepage
- ↑ Elke Lang: Songs that make history. Märkische Oderzeitung from May 30, 2017, accessed on December 19, 2018.
- ↑ Carsten Kämmerer: "5 questions-5 answers" - special! Rolf Zuckowski announces his departure! lokalkompass.de, December 7, 2012, accessed on May 29, 2016 .
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski: Because of "stop" - my self-interview. musik-fuer-dich.de, archived from the original on May 28, 2016 ; Retrieved May 29, 2016 .
- ↑ Concert tour: 40 years of music for you on alsterfroesche.de
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski gives Axl Rose in the Elbphilharmonie on Abendblatt.de
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski - Music for you on youtube.com
- ↑ Children's Hospice Bethel - Rolf Zuckowski on kinderhospiz-bethel.de
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski on the website of the v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel , accessed on December 19, 2018.
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski receives the Federal Cross of Merit. Retrieved September 11, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c biography on musik-fuer-dich.de
- ↑ German Music Prize for Rolf Zuckowski on mediabiz.de
- ↑ Prize winners of the Paul-Lincke-Ring , accessed on December 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Bobby 2005" goes to the songwriter Rolf Zuckowski on beb-ev.de
- ↑ Golden tuning fork for Zuckowski and Cicero on abendblatt.de
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski says goodbye to the stage ( Memento from February 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) on schlagerplanet.com
- ↑ Rolf Zuckowski receives an echo for his life's work on welt.de
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Zuckowski, Rolf |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German musician, composer, producer and author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 12, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hamburg , Germany |