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Heino

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Heino, whose real name is Heinz Georg Kramm, is a German singer of Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. He was born in Düsseldorf in 1938. His father was killed in the Second World War and his mother gave him an accordion when he was ten. He first became a baker and pastry chef, and in 1961 he sang in the trio OK Singers. His stage name comes from his sister Hannelore, who as a child could not pronounce his first names Heinz Georg properly.

Music and breakthrough

In the mid-1960s Heino broke through and since then he has appeared in the German charts many times. He often performed on German TV programmes such as the ZDF-Hitparade and Musikantenstadl. Most of his repertoire consists of pop versions of old folk songs. Blau blüht der Enzian from 1972 is the best-known example: an arrangement of the folk song Das Schweizermadel. Albums such as Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit (1967) and Die schönsten Volkslieder der Welt (1972) showcase this repertoire.

Influence

His trademarks are a low baritone voice, blond hair and dark sunglasses, which he wears because of an eye condition. In 2013 he surprised everyone with Mit freundlichen Grüßen, an album of covers of artists including Die Ärzte, Peter Fox and Rammstein, which for the first time reached number 1 in Germany. In 2018, after fifty years, he announced a farewell tour. Heino shows how the German folk song could live on in popular culture.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Blau blüht der Enzian and notice the heavy baritone voice and the simple, singable melody. Can you hear that it is a folk song dressed up in a pop jacket?

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

Categories: ArtistsSchlager