German singer Marion Maerz (born August 17, 1943, in Flensburg; real name Marion Litterscheid) blends Schlager with beat and pop elements from the 1960s; country influences were added later. She was discovered in 1964 at a Pepsi-Cola talent contest in Hanover. Her first singles were released in 1965, including her breakthrough hit “Er ist wieder da”, composed by Christian Bruhn. In 1966, the song reached No. 6 on the Official German Charts, and that same year, Marion Maerz performed at the German Schlager Festival. In 1967, she released her album Marion and was awarded the Bronze Bravo Otto. This was followed in 1969 by the album El Condor Pasa, and in 1971 by the album Marion Maerz Sings Burt Bacharach. In 1972, she released the album Nimm mich zu dir and the single “S-t-e-f-a-n”, participated in the German Eurovision preliminary round, and sang the song “Du gehst fort” as a duet with Antony. In 1973, the album *Shalom* was released. After the birth of her daughter Mascha in 1975, the singer largely withdrew from the music business. Later, she worked intermittently as a stage actress. In 1979, she released the duet “Schau mal herein” with Bernd Clüver. Starting in 2001, she made a comeback with a modern country style, including the album Das Glück kann fliegen. In 2009, a reissue of her Burt Bacharach Songbook was released.
