Dieter Thomas Heck (born Carl-Dieter Heckscher; 29 December 1937 – 23 August 2018) was a German television presenter, singer and actor. He is known as the presenter of the popular TV program ''

ZDF-Hitparade The ''ZDF-Hitparade'', or ''Hitparade'' for short, by German TV channel ZDF, was one of the most popular and most well-known music television series presenting mostly German Schlager. From 1969 to 1984 the presenter was Dieter Thomas Heck. The l ...

'', featuring German

Schlager music Schlager (, " hit(s)") is a style of European popular music and radio format generally defined by catchy instrumental accompaniments to vocal pieces of pop music with simple, easygoing, and often sentimental lyrics. Schlager tracks are typ ...

, from 1969 to 1984, reaching millions of people. As an actor, he starred in the TV play '' Das Millionenspiel'' in 1970.

Early life

Heck was born in

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish language, Danish and ; ; ) is an independent city, independent town in the far north of the Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After Kiel and Lübeck, it is the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg's ...

, Germany and grew up in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. In April 1943, when he was five years old, he developed a

stutter Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized externally by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses called blocks in which the person who ...

after being trapped under a staircase after a nighttime British

bombing raid Strategic bombing is a systematically organized and executed military attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy' ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The stutter went away after he received training in classical singing at age 16. After completing "Mittelschule" (middle school) and a technical "Oberschule" (high school) he was trained as a "Technischer Kaufmann" (technical salesman) by

Borgward Borgward was a car manufacturing company, based in Bremen, Germany, founded by Carl F. W. Borgward (1890–1963). It produced cars of four brands, which were sold to a diversified international customer base: Borgward, Hansa, Goliath a ...

in Hamburg and worked afterwards as a salesman. He left the company after four years.

Radio and television career

In 1959, Heck appeared on

Peter Frankenfeld Peter Frankenfeld (born Willi Julius August Frankenfeldt; 31 May 1913 in Berlin – 4 January 1979 in Hamburg) was a German people, German comedian, radio and television personality. After World War II he became an interpreter with the U.S. milit ...

s talent show '' Toi – Toi – Toi'', singing ''Hippe-di-hipp, mein Mädchen''. In 1961, he participated in the preliminary round of the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson (now

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

). After employment as a car salesman, Heck worked for a record company. He visited the radio station Südwestfunk (SWF) in Baden-Baden on 23 November 1963 and was asked to be interviewed because a scheduled guest did not show up. The moderator asked clumsy questions so Heck took over conducting the interview himself. As a result, Herbert Falk offered him the job of hosting a 90-minute "Sendung" (broadcast) every Saturday. Heck then worked for Radio Luxemburg from 1965 to September 1966. It was customary there to use only a first name, and as "Dieter" was already taken, Heck asked readers of the youth magazine ''

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...

'' for an alternative name. The readers chose "Thomas", and he used it since. He collaborated with

Frank Elstner Timm Franz Maria Elstner (born 19 April 1942), known as Frank Elstner, is an Austrian-born German television presenter. Early life Elstner went to school in Rastatt in Germany and gained his first experience in broadcasting as a child when he ...

and they became friends. He then worked for SR 1 Europawelle of the

Saarländischer Rundfunk (; "Saarland Broadcasting"), shortened to SR (), is a public broadcasting, public radio and television broadcaster serving the German States of Germany, state of Saarland. With headquarters in the Halberg Broadcasting House in Saarbrücken, SR i ...

. He concentrated on German

, a topic not favored by other moderators. His series ''Die Deutsche Schlagerparade'' was so successful that it was partly recorded. In 1967, he was a co-founder of the award

Goldene Europa Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies. Since 1981, the gala was broadcast on television. The original sculptu ...

for German singers, which was first awarded in 1968. Heck's breakthrough came with ''

'', a TV series for the

ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

, based on the model of the Schlagerparade and staged by Truck Branss. It was considered an influential music feature of the 1970s and 1980s. He presented it 183 times between 1969 and 1984. He showcased international performers, but they had to sing in German, including the Lebanese Ricky Shayne, the Greek Costa Cordalis, ,

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born July 22, 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1,200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on July 22, 1946, ...

, Mouth & McNeal,

Karel Gott Karel Gott (14 July 1939 – 1 October 2019) was a Czech singer, considered the most successful male singer in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. He was voted the country's best male singer in the annual ''Český slavík'' (''Czech Nighti ...

Michael Holm Michael Holm (born Lothar Walter; on 29 July 1943) is a German singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is primarily known as a singer of Schlager music. Although his first appearance in the hit parade was in 1962 ("Lauter schöne ...

and Marianne Rosenberg. Heck initiated the award ''

Goldene Stimmgabel The Goldene Stimmgabel (English: Golden Tuning Fork) was an annual prize awarded within the German music scene from 1981 to 2007. The prizes were awarded according to the number of records sold from October of the previous year to June of the year ...

''. From 1982 to 1989, he was also moderator for the Südwestfunk in the series ''Gute Laune aus Südwest'' and ''Vom Telefon zum Mikrofon''. For the ZDF, he moderated ''4 gegen 4'' (1973), ''

Die Pyramide Die Pyramide (''The Pyramid'') is a high-rise building built in 1994/95 and located in the Berlin region of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, district of Marzahn, at the Rhinstraße / Landsberger Allee intersection. The office building and adjacent outbuildin ...

'' (1978), ''Schwarz auf Weiß'', ''Ihr Einsatz bitte – Made in Germany'', ''Das ist ihr Leben'' (1994), ''Das große Los'', ''Showpalast'', ''Das Sommer-Hitfestival'', ''Das Silvester-Hitfestival'' and finally ''Melodien für Millionen'' (Melodies for Millions), a gala for the benefit of the German Cancer Aid. He retired from the ZDF in 2007. He said then "It was my life to entertain people. That I succeeded makes me happy."("Mein Leben war es, Menschen zu unterhalten. Dass mir dies gelungen ist, macht mich glücklich"). Heck published his biography in 2011. As an actor, in 1970 he starred in the role of the presenter in the TV play '' Das Millionenspiel''. He played supporting roles in TV crime series, such as ''

Tatort ("Crime Scene") is a German-language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with 30 feature-length episodes per year, making it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by the German public-se ...

'' in 1981, '' Rosenheim-Cops'', '' Praxis Bülowbogen'', and ''

Stuttgart Homicide ''SOKO Stuttgart'' (English title: ''Stuttgart Homicide'') is a German police procedural television series that premiered on 12 November 2009 on ZDF. It is the eighth offshoot of ''SOKO München'', launched in 1978 under the name ''SOKO 5113''. ...

'' in 2009.

Personal life

Heck married in 1962 and again in 1976. He had two sons and one daughter. He died on 23 August 2018 in Berlin and he was buried at the

Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery The Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery () is a Protestant rural cemetery in Germany. Established in 1909, the cemetery is located in the municipality of Stahnsdorf in Potsdam-Mittelmark district, Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. With a la ...

Filmography

Heck played in several films, including: * 1961: ''Schlagerparade 1961'', film * 1970: '' Das Millionenspiel'' * 1971: ''Glückspilze'' * 1971: ''Hurra bei uns geht´s rund'' * 1972: ''Sternschnuppe'' * 1973: ''Klimbim'', TV series * 1978: ', TV series * 1981:

– ''Beweisaufnahme'' * 1983: ''Pankow '95'' * 1987: '' Praxis Bülowbogen'', TV series * 1991: ' * 1992: Tatort – ''Stoevers Fall'' * 1993: '' Salto Postale'', sitcom * 1994: ''Heimatgeschichten'' TV series * 1998: ''

In aller Freundschaft (''In all friendship'') is a German television soap opera that began airing in 1998 every Tuesday. The series follows the staff of the fictional Sachsenklinik hospital in the city of Leipzig. The series is produced by Degeto (a subsidiary of ...

'' TV series * 1998: ''Und vor mir die Sterne'' * 2008: '' Die Rosenheim-Cops'' * 2009: ''

'' * 2010: ''C.I.S. – Chaoten im Sondereinsatz''

Radio and television shows

* 1966: Die deutsche Schlagerparade * 1969–1984:

* 1978–1994:

* 1981–2007:

* 1988–2000: * 1985–2007: * 1991–1998: Musik liegt in der Luft * 1996–2000: Das große Los * 1994, 1997–1999: Die deutschen Schlagerfestspiele

Awards

* 1971:

Goldene Kamera The Goldene Kamera ("Golden Camera") is an annual German film and television award, awarded by the Funke Mediengruppe. The award show was usually held in early February in Hamburg, but also took place in Berlin on occasion. It has been paused ...

in the category ''Beste Sendung für junge Leute'' (best feature for young people) for ''

'' * 1984:

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

* 1999: Saarländischer Verdienstorden, the Order of Merit of the State of

Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...

* 2000: Verdienstmedaille of Baden-Württemberg, the Order of Merit of the State of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

* 2001: The Goldene Feder, a special prize for charity work * 2003: Verdienstorden des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, the Order of Merit of the State of

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

* 2008:

Echo Music Prize Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and was set up to honor ...

for exceptional merits for music in German * 2009:

Dieter Thomas Heck mit Bundesverdienstkreuz geehrt
(in German) Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 30 June 2009 * 2012:

Deutscher Musikpreis Deutscher Musikpreis is a German music prize, awarded since 1979 by the . The prize is currently 12,500 euros. Winners * 1982 RIAS Jugendorchester * 1985 Peter Maffay * 1989 Richard Jakoby * 1993 Die Prinzen * 1997 * 2000 Rolf Zuckowski * 20 ...

* 2017: Goldene Kamera lifetime achievement award

References

Literature

* Peter Lanz: ''Dieter Thomas Heck – Die Biographie'', Edel Books. Hamburg 2011. .

External links

* * Katja Schwemmers
Dieter Thomas Heck: Manche werden schon einen Joint geraucht haben
''

Focus Focus (: foci or focuses) may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in East Australia Film *Focus (2001 film), ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based on the Arthur Miller novel *Focus (2015 ...

'' 24 October 2011
Dieter Thomas Heck: Sein Schlager-Königreich
''

Berliner Kurier The ''Berliner Kurier'' is a regional, daily tabloid published by the ''Berliner Verlag GmbH'' for the Berlin metropolitan area in Germany. The paper was owned by M. DuMont Schauberg. and got sold in September 2019 to Holger Friedrichs. In Ja ...

'' 18 October 2011 * Frank Patalong
Stigma Stottern / Wenn eine Wand im Mund steht
''

Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

'' 22 October 2011
Die berühmtesten Stotterer der Welt
''Rhein-Sieg-Anzeiger''

(photos)

Die Welt (, ) is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE. is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group and it is considered a newspaper of record in Germany. Its leading competitors are the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heck, Dieter Thomas 1937 births 2018 deaths Burials at Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery German radio presenters German male television actors German male singers German game show hosts People from Flensburg Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Echo (music award) winners ZDF people Saarländischer Rundfunk people Recipients of the Saarland Order of Merit Male actors from Schleswig-Holstein Male actors from Hamburg