Roy Black born 25 January 1943

 

Roy Black (January 25, 1943 – October 9, 1991) was a German schlager singer and actor, who appeared in several musical comedies and starred in the 1989 TV series, Ein Schloß am Wörthersee.

Born Gerhard Höllerich in Bobingen, Bavarian Swabia, Germany, Black attended the gymnasium in Augsburg and, aged 20, founded the rock and roll band Roy Black and His Cannons. His stage name derived from his black hair and his idol, Roy Orbison.

Roy Black and His Cannons achieved some local fame and were offered a recording contract with Polydor Records. However, his record producer Hans Bertram decided on a solo career for Black, and a switch to romantic songs for his protégé, a decision which soon led to nationwide fame.

 

In 1966, his single "Ganz in Weiß"—a romantic song about marrying in white—sold in excess of one million copies by the end of 1967. His 1969 song "Dein schönstes Geschenk", sold one million copies by May 1970, having spent nine weeks at number one in the German chart.

From 1967, Black also took on roles in several musical comedy films, for example in the 1969 movie Hilfe, ich liebe Zwillinge (Help, I Love Twins) opposite Uschi Glas.

Being Germany's most popular singer in the late 1960s and early 1970s with hits such as "Das Mädchen Carina" (1969) or "Schön ist es auf der Welt zu sein" (1971 with Anita Hegerland), his career struggles due to low record sales and personal problems.

In 1974, Black announced his engagement to model Silke Vagts (1945–2002), and the couple got married in Munich the same year. In 1976 their son Torsten was born. They divorced in 1985.

In the last years of his life, he had a surprising comeback as singer and leading actor of the hit TV show Ein Schloß am Wörthersee (1990).

Six years later, Black died of heart failure, in Heldenstein near Mühldorf am Inn, which was assumed to be a result of his addiction to alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Rumour has it, according to the German BILD-Zeitung and other news sources, that he committed suicide. He died one month after his long-time companion Carmen Böhning gave birth to their daughter Nathalie (14 September 1991).

In 1999, 8 years after Roy Black's death, the composer Christian Bruhn has discovered the unreleased song "Der Wanderpriester". Along with 10 other unreleased songs it was put on a new album. "Der Wanderpriester" that was 2 weeks in the Top 100 of the German-international Charts.

(Info mainly edited from Wikipedia & IMDB)