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Austrian-born composer and singer Udo Jürgens is a force to reckon with when it comes to the world of music.
In today’s article, we will take a look into his life and family as we delve more into his cause of death as well as many others.
Udo Jürgens Biography
Udo Jürgens, born Jürgen Udo Bockelmann on September 30, 1934, was a renowned Austrian composer and singer of popular music.
He developed into one of the most popular and significant musicians in the German-speaking world over the course of a more than 50-year career. In 1966, Jürgens represented Austria and won the Eurovision Song Contest.
Throughout his career, he wrote close to 1,000 songs and sold over 104 million records. Along with obtaining Swiss citizenship, he also legally changed his name to Udo Jürgens Bockelmann in 2010.
Jürgens is recognised for modernising German-language pop music by adding aspects of the French chanson style and a pop appeal.
In the 1950s, he was able to successfully break free from the conventional post-war “Schlager” genre and win over audiences of all ages with his avant-garde songs and arrangements.
Jürgens captivated audiences as he grew older and filled halls in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland until his tragic passing at the age of 80.
In 1952, Udo Jürgens established the Udo Bolan Quartet in Klagenfurt, Austria, marking the beginning of his musical career.
The foursome became well-known thanks to their appearances on Radio Alpenland and the British Forces Radio network, where they frequently played dance and jazz clubs.
Jürgens’ composition “Je t’aime” took first place in a composer competition held by Austria’s public broadcasting network ORF in 1950.
He gained even more recognition as a gifted lyricist when he contributed to the 1961 Shirley Bassey single “Reach for the Stars,” which became a global sensation.
In 1964, Jürgens made his debut at the Eurovision Song Contest, singing “Warum nur, warum?” on behalf of Austria. Despite coming in sixth place, Matt Monro from the UK was drawn to his melody and recorded it as “Walk Away.”
Significant success was had by Monro’s rendition, which peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
When performing “Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen” at the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest, Jürgens placed fourth.
But it wasn’t until his third attempt in 1966 that he succeeded with “Merci, Chérie,” which Vince Hill and Matt Monro made into a success in the English language.
With sales of more than a million copies, Jürgens’ version alone was a huge hit and brought him a gold disc from Deutsche Vogue in 1966.
Jürgens continued to write and sing a number of popular songs over the years, including “Griechischer Wein,” “Aber bitte mit Sahne,” “Mit 66 Jahren,” and “Buenos Das, Argentina,” which he played in 1978 with the Germany football team.
He even asked The Supremes to perform at his broadcast and recorded gala event in 1977.
Jürgens was talented and well-liked outside of German-speaking nations.
He developed a sizable following in Argentina, where he is still well-liked. Furthermore, his impact went beyond music; he even gave renowned artist Shepard Fairey the idea to start the clothing line OBEY.
Hamburg’s “Ich war noch niemals in New York” jukebox musical debuted there on December 2, 2007, and it featured songs by Jürgens. This musical featured Jürgens’ work in a family-centered plot, much like “Mamma Mia!” did with ABBA’s songs.
In 2015, when he established a world record by appearing in the charts for more than 57 years, his legacy as a performer with a long-lasting presence in the charts received official recognition.
Udo Jürgens tragically died on December 21, 2014, in Münsterlingen, Switzerland, from a heart arrest.
Interestingly, he lyrically sings about “having finally arrived” in one of his later songs, “Am Ufer,” foreshadowing his eventual passing from cardiac fibrillation, an erratic and disorganised heartbeat.
Despite his premature passing, Jürgens’ music still appeals to listeners, and the success of his songs ensures that his legacy endures.
Udo Jürgens Cause Of Death
Udo Jürgens is known to have died from a cardiac arrest which he had on 21 December 2014 at Münsterlingen, Switzerland.
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