Jonny Hill was born in Graz on July 27, 1940. His real name is Feri Gillming. The Austrian singer, lyricist, producer and entertainer is one of the best-known representatives of German-language country hits. After leaving school, Jonny Hill initially worked as an actor and took on small theater roles. In 1962, he played a supporting role in the film Auf Wiedersehn am blauen Meer. Later, producer Lotar Olias discovers his distinctive voice, which is often compared to Freddy Quinn. Under the pseudonym Victor, Jonny Hill released the first singles "Liebe ist Feuer und Wasser" and "Ich bin dein Freund" in 1968. In 1969, Jonny Hill achieved his first major success in northern Germany with "Wieder in der Heimat". The song reached number 1 in the NDR hit parade. The next radio hit followed in 1971 with "Und küssen konnte sie gut". Jonny Hill's final breakthrough came in 1979 with "Ruf Teddybär eins-vier". The German version of the US song "Teddy Bear" developed into one of the most successful German-language country songs ever. The single was awarded a gold record and made Jonny Hill famous throughout the German-speaking world. Other well-known titles followed, such as "Rosen für Mama", "Der alte Mann", "Wo der Mond versinkt", "Hallo Teddybär ", "500 Meilen von zuhaus", "Dieser Weg führt nach Haus" and "30 Tonnen Kerosin". Famous albums by Jonny Hill include Eine Reise um die Welt (1969), Soweit die Füße tragen (1979), Ein Mann und das Meer (1980), König der Landstraße (1991), Mitten im Leben (1996), Bis ans Ende der Welt (2002), In Nashville (2012) and Bitte treten Sie zurück (2014). In 1978, Jonny Hill took part in the German preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest with "Louisiana" and reached 8th place. In 1989, he was given his own TV show on RTL with Kilometer 330. In 1992 and 1995, he took part in the Grand Prix of Folk Music. Jonny Hill also works as a producer and presenter.
