Udo Lindenberg (born 17 May 1946) is a German singer, composer, and painter.

Career

Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969, he founded his first band Free Orbit, and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Michael Naura, Knut Kiesewetter). In 1970, he collaborated as a drummer with jazz saxophonist

Klaus Doldinger Klaus Doldinger (; born 12 May 1936) is a German saxophonist known for his work in jazz and as a film music composer. He was the recipient of the 1997's Bavarian Film Awards. He is also a frequent collaborator of German filmmaker Wolfgang Pet ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. In 1971

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

, a band founded by Doldinger, released its first album, with Lindenberg on drums. He also played drums for the theme music for the German TV series ''

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 ...

''. The first LP by the

jazz rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...

group Emergency was released in 1971, but met with little commercial success. The LP ''Lindenberg'' (also 1971, sung in English, with Steffi Stephan on bass) was likewise unsuccessful. In the following year, the first LP in German was released: ''Daumen im Wind'' (produced by Lindenberg and Thomas Kukuck, who also co-produced Lindenberg's next five albums), featuring the single "Hoch im Norden", which became a radio hit in northern Germany. The year 1973 brought a breakthrough with the album ''Andrea Doria'' and the singles "Alles klar auf der

Andrea Doria Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was an Italian statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime. From 1528 until his death, Doria exercised a predominant influe ...

" and "Cello". With over 100,000 copies sold, Lindenberg quickly received the largest record deal of any German-language musician up to that time. Lindenberg was earning a special place in the new German-language music of the 1970s, finding a niche between internationally oriented

Krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...

and mainstream pop music of the Schlager variety. German-language rock had previously been confined to predominantly political message bands whose music was directed at a narrow audience. Udo Lindenberg Hamburg 1974 001

Lindenberg's brash style, everyday subject matter ("Bei Onkel Pö…") and his feel for language were an unprecedented combination in German-language music. His pioneering work helped other artists such as Stefan Waggershausen and Marius Müller-Westernhagen get record deals of their own. In 1973, Lindenberg first went on tour with his Panikorchester (Panic Orchestra). 1976 was one of Lindenberg's most productive years. Besides the LP ''Galaxo Gang'', he also released a record under the name Das Waldemar Wunderbar Syndicat (''I make you feel good''), a first

Best of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

''Panik Udo'' and the first in a series of foreign-language releases, ''No Panic'', on which Lindenberg translated his songs into English. In the same year (and on another LP: ''Sister King Kong'') with the song "Rock 'n' Roll Arena in

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

", Lindenberg first mentioned a Panic Orchestra tour of the GDR. In 1976, Lindenberg discovered Ulla Meinecke and produced her first two albums. She was a guest artist and co-author of the 1977 LP ''Panische Nächte'' (''Panic Nights'') and the 1978 ''Dröhnland Symphonie''. On ''Lindenbergs Rock Revue'' (1978), Lindenberg and "Germanized" rock classics from

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

, and went on a big tour. The number 1 hit "

We Gotta Get out of This Place "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", occasionally written "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", is a rock song written by American songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by English band the Animals. It has become ...

" was also released with German lyrics. The subsequent ''Dröhnland-Symphonie''-Tour was staged by

Peter Zadek Peter Zadek (; 19 May 1926 – 30 July 2009) was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. Biography Peter Zadek was born on 19 May ...

as a big multimedia stage show with a plethora of costumed extras. The result was Lindenberg's first live album ''Livehaftig''. In 1979, ''Der Detektiv'' was the second Rock Revue, in which more international hits such as " Candle in the Wind" by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, " Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, "My Little Town" and "As Time Goes By" (from the film, ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'') were "Germanized". Also in 1997 was published "Belcanto - Udo Lindenberg & das Deutsche Filmorchester Babelsberg" which included hits like "Horizont", "Bis ans Ende der Welt" along with a song by

Bertold Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...

and Lindenberg's own interpretation of " The Windmills of Your Mind" - "Under the drunkard moon" ("Unterm Säufermond") (lyrics: Lindenberg, Horst Königstein). One of Lindenberg's most famous songs is " Sonderzug nach Pankow" (Special train service to Pankow), an adaptation of " Chattanooga Choo Choo", released as a single on 2 February 1983. It originated from the refusal of eastern German authorities to allow Lindenberg to perform in the GDR. It was forbidden to play the song in the GDR. On 25 October 1983, Lindenberg was finally allowed to perform for 15 minutes in the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin. In September 1987, he presented a custom Ibanez guitar to the then East German leader,

Erich Honecker Erich Ernst Paul Honecker (; 25 August 1912 – 29 May 1994) was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1971 until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. He held the post ...

, during his visit to the West German city of

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, with a population of 355,000. Wuppertal is the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and List of cities in Germany by population, 17th-largest in Germany. It ...

. On 3 June 2011, Lindenberg performed at Kampnagel unplugged. The recording was later released as an album within the ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...

'' series. Lindenberg was the eighth German artist in that series. The album became the second No. 1 album for Lindenberg, awarded platinum status for 200,000 units sold after two weeks. The second single from the album "Cello" (feat. Clueso) went to No. 4, giving Lindenberg the highest chart position in German singles charts ever. Lindenberg has worked collaboratively with various local and international recording artists such as

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the rhythm and blues, R&B and Rock music, rock band The Animals and the funk band War (band), War. He is regarded as one of the Br ...

, Helen Schneider,

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

, Tom Robinson, Keith Forsey,

Gianna Nannini Gianna Nannini (; born 14 June 1954) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Her most notable songs include "America" (1979), "Fotoromanza" (1984), "I maschi" (1987), "Meravigliosa creatura" (1995), "Sei nell'anima" (2006) and "Bello e impossibile ...

, Ellen ten Damme and

Nena Gabriele Susanne Kerner (born 24 March 1960), better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer who rose to international fame in 1983 as the lead vocalist of the band Nena (band), Nena with the Neue Deutsche Welle song "99 Luftballons". I ...

on a number of projects. Lindenberg has been living in the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg since 1995, except for a short break during

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020. His somewhat hoarse voice is according to his own statement caused by his consumption of

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

and

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...

s. In 1989, he survived a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. In 2010, he designed two

postage stamps A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the ...

, based on his songs "Andrea Doria" and "Sonderzug nach Pankow", for the

Deutsche Post (, ) is a brand of the DHL Group (listed as ), used for its domestic mail services in Germany. The services offered under the brand are those of a traditional mail service, making the brand the successor of the former state-owned mail monopoly ...

. For 2014, Lindenberg announced his first stadium tour in Germany. From 1 February to 2 April 2015, an exhibition entitled "Porsche.Panic.Power" took place in the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen and showed numerous items from Lindenberg's private collection. Lindenberg opened the exhibition with a concert in the museum. Lindenberg features in the 2016 book '' Panikherz'' by

Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre (born 27 January 1975) is a German writer, journalist and television presenter. Life and career Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre was born in Bremen on 27 January 1975. He is the son of a pastor and belongs to the noble fam ...

. Stuckrad-Barre recounts how Lindenberg helped him move away from a destructive lifestyle. In February 2023, " Komet", his track with rapper Apache 207, reached number one in the German single charts, which is Lindenberg's first number one single in German charts.

Discography

Albums

D: Germany, A: Austria, CH: Switzerland ¹ Udo Lindenberg & Panikorchester
² Udo Lindenberg & Das Deutsche Filmorchester Babelsberg

Singles

D: Germany, A: Austria, CH: Switzerland ¹Udo Lindenberg & Pascal
²

Freundeskreis Freundeskreis (meaning "Circle of Friends") also known as FK, were a German hip hop group from Stuttgart. They performed songs in German language, German, English language, English, French language, French and Esperanto. The members were Max Her ...

feat. Udo Lindenberg
³

& Friends (Udo Lindenberg, Sasha,

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin ...

, ...)
⁴Udo Lindenberg feat. Inga Humpe
⁵Udo Lindenberg feat. Clueso
⁶Udo Lindenberg feat.

Jan Delay Jan Phillip Eißfeldt (born 25 August 1976), known professionally as Jan Delay, is a German rapper and singer whose stylistic range includes mainly hip hop, reggae, dub and funk. An accomplished solo artist, he became known to the public as ...

Literature

* Bundesbeauftragter für die Stasi-Unterlagen: ''Udo rocks for world peace. The concert 1983 in the

Stasi The Ministry for State Security (, ; abbreviated MfS), commonly known as the (, an abbreviation of ), was the Intelligence agency, state security service and secret police of East Germany from 1950 to 1990. It was one of the most repressive pol ...

files.'' Berlin 2013. �
free download of the documentation (108 pages) as pdf
* Holger Zürch: ''Panik pur 2. 40 Jahre Udo Lindenberg. 2007 bis 2011 – eine Bilanz''. Selbstpublikation über ''Engelsdorfer Verlag'', Leipzig 2012, . * Bernd Kauffmann: ''Sonderzug nach Pankow''. Theater der Zeit, Berlin 2011, . * Thomas Freitag: ''Udo Lindenberg und der Osten''. Neues Leben, Berlin 2011, * Herbert Schulze, Torsten Wahl: ''Udo Lindenberg „Wir wollen doch einfach nur zusammen sein“. Eine deutsch-deutsche Rockromanze''. Mitteldeutscher Verlag, Halle (Saale) 2011, . * Holger Zürch: ''Panik pur. 35 Jahre Udo Lindenberg – Die Bilanz.'' Mit einem Vorwort von Heinz Rudolf Kunze. Leipzig 2007, sowie 2. Auflage als Taschenbuch-Ausgabe, Leipzig 2009, * Udo Lindenberg, Herbert Schnierle-Lutz (Hrsg.): ''Mein Hermann Hesse – Ein Lesebuch.'' Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2008, * Udo Lindenberg: ''Rock'n'Roll und Rebellion – Ein panisches Panorama.'' Mit einem Vorwort von Bazon Brock, EVA, Hamburg 2007, – Erstausgabe mit LP 1981 * Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre, Moritz von Uslar: ''Am Trallafiti-Tresen; Das Werk von Udo Lindenberg in seinen Texten.'' Europäische Verlagsanstalt, Hamburg 2008, .

References

External links

Official website

"Udo Lindenberg & more"
(art gallery)
"Udo Lindenberg Art"
(One of the largest collections of Udo Lindenberg artworks) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindenberg, Udo 1946 births Living people German male musicians German rock singers German-language singers Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin Members of the Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia Male actors from Hamburg Echo (music award) winners People from Gronau, North Rhine-Westphalia