School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Marlene Dietrich

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

Marlene Dietrich was born in Berlin in 1901. She studied the violin, but a wrist injury ended her dream of becoming a concert violinist. In the 1920s she appeared on stage as a revue girl and played small roles in theatre and in silent films. The breakthrough came with the role of the cabaret singer Lola Lola in Der blaue Engel (1930) by the director Josef von Sternberg. The film made her world famous and earned her a contract with Paramount Pictures in the United States. In Hollywood she appeared in, among others, Morocco, Shanghai Express and Blonde Venus.

Music and breakthrough

In Der blaue Engel she sang Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt, the song that made her known as a singer. It became her trademark, together with Falling in Love Again, the English version. She recorded more songs in the 1930s. In the Second World War she performed for American troops, even just behind the front, and became known for Lili Marleen. From the 1950s she toured the world as a solo singer.

Influence

Her voice was low, her delivery restrained and almost spoken, full of irony. In this way she showed that a singer with a small voice can still captivate a large audience. Her style, her clothes and her bearing influenced many later artists.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt and notice her low, almost speaking voice. Can you hear how, with little volume and plenty of mockery, she gets a whole room in her power?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: ArtistsEarly sound film (talkies)