Heino

Born Heinz Georg Kramm on December 13, 1938, in Düsseldorf, Germany, the schlager and volksmusik singer is better known by his stage name Heino. His iconic look features his perfectly styled blonde hair and his ever-present sunglasses, which he wore because he suffers from a rare eye disease. While his music and recordings are seen as curiosities in some foreign countries – particularly the United States – he has remained one of the most popular performers in his home country for six decades. His musical journey began when he was given an accordion at the age of 10. He first came to prominence in 1961 as a member of the trio OK Singers. His solo recordings – many of which became hits in the mid-1960s – were reimagined pop versions of traditional folk songs. His series of hits include “Jernseits des Tales” (1966), “Wir lieven die Stürme” (1968), “Wenn die Kraniche zieh’n” (1969), “Hey Capello” (1970), “Tampico” (1973), “Bier, Bier, Bier” (1980), “Blau blüht der Enzian”(1992), and others. Heino even released a cover version of Rammstein’s “Sonne”, which seemed to be a playful attempt to earn some credibility with the younger German generation. While Heino never attempted to achieve stardom outside of Germany, his reputation and popularity stretched far beyond Europe. Like he did with the Rammstein cover, he dabbled in various musical styles while still remaining as iconic as ever. Throughout his career, he has released over 50 studio albums plus dozens of compilations.