Ralph Siegel
Ralph Siegel ( born September 30, 1945 in Munich) is a German musician, pop composer and music producer.
Ralph Siegel is one of the most influential figures in Euro Vision Song Contest ( " Grand Prix" ), and took part so far with 18 compositions in the final of the international music competition. He is registered with over 2000 titles with GEMA. He is also owner of the record company "Jupiter Records" and the Seal publishers.
Life and career
Ralph Siegel was the son of song writer Ralph Maria Siegel and operetta singer Ingeborg Döderlein on the world. His grandfather Rudolf Siegel worked as an opera composer, conductor and music director in Krefeld.
Already in early childhood learned Siegel to play different instruments, including drums, guitar, accordion and piano. After he was taught harmony and composition theory, he wrote at the age of twelve years, his first song under the pseudonym Peter Elversen. At age 19, he wrote the sung by Don Gibson hit It's a Long Long Way to Georgia, who climbed into the American country charts at # 8. Ralph Siegel went from 1966 a name in the German pop scene by titles for well-known singers such as Mary Roos, Heino, Angela Wiedl, Rex Gildo, Michael Holm, Chris Roberts, Costa Cordalis, Mireille Mathieu, Udo Jürgens, Peter Alexander and Roy Black wrote.
In 1974 he founded his own record label " Jupiter Records ". That same year, Ralph Siegel first took part in the final of the Euro Vision Song Contest. Ireen Sheer sang his title Bye Bye I Love You and occupied Luxembourg for fourth place. It was followed by further participation in the international music competition - until today, he took part with 18 compositions.
He was particularly effective in the year 1975, when he, " Divorced ", " A worthy house" and " Greek wine " produced together with Udo Jürgens, the hits "The devil made the brandy ."
Successful Ralph Siegel was born in the 1970s as a producer of the group Dschinghis Khan, who took part, among them a Euro Vision Song Contest and thereby reached the fourth place. There followed several top rankings in the German music charts.
His biggest success Ralph Siegel at Euro Vision Song Contest 1982 in Harrogate, as the singer Nicole A little peace could win the Grand Prix with the song composed by Seal. This seal was by Klaus Munro, who won in 1972 with the song Après toi for Luxembourg, the second German composer who was able to prove a first place in the competition. He also reached 1980 ( theater, performed by Katja Ebstein ), 1981 (Johnny Blue, sung by Lena Valaitis ) and 1987 ( Let the sunshine in your heart, sung by wind) a second place, and 1994 ( We give ' a party, sung by Mekado ) and 1999 ( travel to Jerusalem, sung by Sürpriz ) a third.
In his last Grand Prix appearances for Germany in 2002 with I Can not Live Without Music ( Corinna May ) ( rank 21 of 24) and 2003 with Let 's Get Happy ( Lou ) ( 12th of 26) Ralph Siegel was less successfully. Since then Ralph Siegel also writes titles for artists from other countries. In 2004, he took with It's a Wonderful Life, sung by the sisters Ali & Lis, in the Maltese preliminary decision in part, but after a defeat he produced instead the contribution On Again ... Off Again, interpreted by the duo Julie & Ludwig. 2005 Siegel was represented by six songs in the Malta Song for Europe, five of which reached the Top 10. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, he tried his luck with the sung by the singer Tinka title Sometimes I Wish I Were a Child Again.
In the German preliminary decision in 2005, Siegel would occur under the pseudonym Mario Mathias to enable a value-free judgment on his song. However, it was already known before the show that the song by Nicole Süßmilch and Marco Matias interpreted A Miracle of Love, comes from seal. He achieved a second place.
In 1987, he won under the pseudonym " Peter Elversen " the German preliminary decision, a pseudonym that he uses since youth days. Other well-known pseudonyms are Werner Zylka, Peter Match and Serge Bonheur.
In 2006 he composed the musical written by Christian Berg laugh! - The time of clowns, which premiered on July 12 in Cuxhaven.
2010 Ralph Siegel made a prostate cancer publicly after he was diagnosed since 2007 in it. During this time, Ralph Siegel the media withdrew very much, but joined in 2010 just in time for his 50 - year-old composer anniversary, among other things with his new artist Marcus Kuno again public appearance and produced for him in our own recording studio the title Fly with me to the seventh heaven with his lyricist friend Bernd Meinunger.
Most of his titles Ralph Siegel wrote with lyricist Bernd Meinunger. Under the pseudonym John O'Flynn wrote this also successful English-language texts, including the Estonian group Vanilla Ninja, but also for Chris Norman, the Bellamy Brothers, and the project E- Rotic.
Awards
Ralph Siegel was in 1982 awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, and in 1998 with the Federal Cross of Merit 1st class.
25 March 2007 Siegel was awarded the ECHO for his life's work. The laudation was pop singer Nicole ( A little peace ), with the Ralph Siegel in 1982 won the Grand Prix.
On 29 July 2010 he received the Bavarian Order of Merit.
Family
Seal is married to the soprano Kriemhild seal since 2006. Previously, he was briefly romantically involved with Nadja Abd el Farrag. Earlier marriages were with Dunja Siegel and ( then ) with Dagmar Siegel.
Seal has three daughters, including Giulia Siegel.
Criticism
Because of the continuous participation of written by Ralph Siegel song on the Euro Vision Song Contest criticism of him was loud. Criticism was that the music of Seal experiencing a favor, which would lead to impoverishment and flattening of the competition. Since winning a parody title of Guildo Horn in the preliminary of the year 1998, however, this criticism seems to be invalidated.
Michael Hanfeld, media journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wrote in 2009 about Seal:
" Stefan Raab has done for Germany on the international television music stage more than Ralph Siegel with its estimated 102 retort songs that always sounded so, as if he had caught the melody sheet with Dieter Bohlen from the trash. "
Success title
The following composed by Ralph Siegel songs reached the Top 10 in Germany, Austria or Switzerland: