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Heinz Georg Kramm, professionally known as Heino, is a legendary German singer renowned for his contributions to Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. With over 50 million records sold, he stands as one of the most successful and enduring musicians in German music history.
Early Life
Heino was born on December 13, 1938, in Düsseldorf-Oberbilk, Germany, to parents Heinrich and Franziska Kramm. His father was a Roman Catholic dentist, while his mother practiced Protestantism. Heino’s early exposure to music came when his mother gifted him an accordion in 1948, despite the family’s financial constraints. This gesture ignited his lifelong passion for music.
Tragedy struck the Kramm family during World War II when Heino’s father was drafted into the German army and tragically lost his life on August 2, 1941, during the invasion of the Soviet Union. Afterward, Heino, along with his mother and older sister Hannelore, lived in Pomerania until 1945. Following this period, he began his formal education in Großenhain, Saxony, in 1945. He later relocated to Düsseldorf in 1952, where he embarked on vocational training as a baker and confectioner.
Career
Heino’s unique stage name, derived from the difficulties his sister Hannelore faced in pronouncing his given name “Heinz Georg,” became a household name in Germany’s music scene. His breakthrough came in 1961 when he joined the trio OK Singers. However, his real fame came in the mid-1960s when he began consistently charting on the German music charts.
Heino became a regular face on German television shows like ZDF-Hitparade, Musikantenstadl, and ZDF-Fernsehgarten. His music primarily consisted of pop renditions of traditional folk songs, exemplified by hits like “Blau blüht der Enzian” (“Blue Blooms the Gentian”), a reimagining of the folk classic “Das Schweizermädel” (“The Swiss Maiden”).
In February 2013, Heino reinvented his image with the release of “Mit freundlichen Grüßen” (Yours sincerely), a groundbreaking album that topped the German charts. Unlike his signature Schlager and Volksmusik style, this record featured Pop-Rock and Metal covers of popular German songs, including tracks by Die Ärzte, Peter Fox, and Rammstein. The album achieved Gold status for selling over 100,000 copies.
Continuing his musical evolution, Heino released “Schwarz blüht der Enzian” (Black blooms the Gentian) in December 2014. This album paid homage to one of his greatest hits, “Blau blüht der Enzian,” and showcased a Rock and Metal style with reimagined traditional German Volksmusik.
In November 2016, Heino thrilled fans with his Christmas album, “Mit weihnachtlichen Grüßen” (With Christmas greetings), featuring a duet with fellow singer Sarah Jane Scott.
Despite initially announcing his retirement in 2018 and the release of his final album, “…und Tschüss, das letzte Album” (…and bye, the final album), featuring 36 traditional German folk songs, Heino later revealed plans for a tour in 2020, where he performs classic music, continuing to captivate audiences even after a remarkable 50-year career.
What was Heino’s Cause of Death?
Heino is not dead. He is alive and thriving, currently enjoying his 84th year of life.
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