How to explain the popularity of German
Schlager singer Heino to someone who isn’t familiar with the country’s culture? As a kind of German answer to
Elvis, the singer with his deep baritone voice has gathered a large community of fans and gained international fame beyond Germany’s borders in the 1980s. In Germany, he has sold more records than
the Beatles, and for his 60th birthday, German TV ran a special feature titled 'The Golden Heino'. There are even conspiracy theories about the singer: for example, the "cosmic order of Heino" claims that extraterrestrials have implanted a chip in the singer’s brain, which affects the well-being of the entire humanity. Heino’s civil name is Heinz Georg Kramm. During his youth, he made an apprenticeship as a baker and began playing the accordion as well as performing in fine restaurants in his hometown, Düsseldorf. In 1955, he played his first professional concert, in 1960 he quit baking to become a full time musician. In 1965 he signed his first record contract and sold large numbers of singles. For the rest of his live, Heino has performed on stage and released music. In 2013 he released a comeback album after a longer studio break, 'Mit freundlichen Grüßen', in which he covers songs of other popular German artists. The album made it to the top of the charts straight away and put the singer back in the spotlight.
