Udo Jürgens
Austrian singer, pianist and composer (1934–2014) whose songs, from “Merci Chérie” to “Griechischer Wein”, live on through archive releases and tributes.
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Latest
Udo’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Born
- 30 September 1934, Klagenfurt, Austria
- Birth name
- Jürgen Udo Bockelmann
- Work
- Singer, composer and pianist
- Breakout
- “Merci Chérie”, Eurovision winner for Austria in 1966
- Died
- 21 December 2014
Mini bio
How it started.
Raised in Ottmanach in Carinthia, Udo taught himself piano as a child and began studying music in Klagenfurt in 1948. In 1951 he formed the Udo Bolan Band, playing jazz and swing standards alongside his own compositions.
The breakthrough.
Eurovision gave his songwriting an international stage. After appearances in 1964 and 1965, he won for Austria in 1966 with “Merci Chérie”. Matt Monro also brought his earlier entry “Warum nur, warum” to English-speaking listeners as “Walk Away”.
Songs to return to.
His catalogue includes “Griechischer Wein”, composed by Udo with lyrics by Michael Kunze, and “Ich war noch niemals in New York”. Across six decades he wrote more than 1,000 songs and released more than 50 albums. He died in December 2014; recent releases and tribute concerts draw on the music and performances he left behind.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2014Mitten im LebenRecording artist
- 1982Ich war noch niemals in New YorkSinger and composer
- 1974Griechischer WeinSinger and composer; lyrics by Michael Kunze
- 1966Merci ChérieSinger and composer; lyrics by Thomas Hörbiger
Awards
Quotes
Zu meinen ersten Wahrnehmungen gehören blühende Obstbäume gegen den blauen Himmel.Udo Jürgens, official biography
His official biography places this childhood recollection beside the story of his upbringing in Carinthia.
Trivia
- His early band used the name Udo Bolan before he adopted Udo Jürgens in 1956.
- Despite its French title, his winning Eurovision performance of “Merci Chérie” was in German.
- “Griechischer Wein” later reached English-speaking audiences as “Come Share The Wine”, recorded by Bing Crosby and Al Martino.
Find Udo
Explore his songs and archive through the official channels.
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