Gertrude Wirschinger, known professionally as Penny McLean, was born on November 4, 1948, in Klagenfurt, Austria. She began her musical journey with a background in piano, flute, guitar, and vocal training. In the mid-1960s, she performed solo under her birth name before forming a duo with her husband Holger Münzer. In 1972, after her divorce from Münzer, Wirschinger adopted the stage name Barbi Münzer and released singles such as "Bananendampferkapitän" and "Acapulcobanjopolka". She later formed the band Penny Box, which evolved into Penny Explosion, leading to her eventual adoption of the name Penny McLean. Her breakthrough came in 1975 with the release of "Lady Bump", a hit single that reached Number 1 in Germany and popularized the Bump dance. McLean's career included a stint with the group Silver Convention, where she contributed to hits like "Fly, Robin, Fly" and "Get Up And Boogie", both of which topped the US Billboard charts, earning her several gold records. She participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 with the song "Telegram". Throughout her career. Her later works include collaborations on songs like "Wenn die Träume Flügel kriegen" (1982) and participation in the Luxembourg pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the project Tut Ench Amun.
