Udo Jürgens is dead: A star, who was never embarrassed – Spiegel Online

That Udo Jürgens could ever assign, was unimaginable. More so, if you lived to him in recent days on stage. For example in one of his last Aufttritte, the recording of the ZDF Christmas show before last Friday. Around midnight Jürgens sang a duet with the hostess Helene Fischer. The 80-year-old surpassed presence pretty much every younger artists who had been on the night in Berlin Velodrome in front of the camera. And they were all younger than he is.

Jürgens, a star for 50 years, would go on and that seemed made out. It was one of his fear of ending up as an old man who would be guided to the stage. Formerly a model of charm and virility, he was increasingly mature idol in terms of growing old. That the years had robbed him of strength, you could see if you met him offstage. Speech he kept his concentration, noted nothing.

Jürgens’ to last in his concerts defiant assertion put forward, life really begin until 66 years, of course, was a pious lie. But that 66 is not the end, he proved impressive. Until well into December Jürgen was on a concert tour, next year they should go. “In Real Life” was the tour. Just now the death caught him, taking a walk on Sunday.

Jürgens was probably the largest German-language pop star of the past decades, greater than Grönemeyer, Westernhagen and Lindenberg. How much the Germans worshiped him, you could tell them that they understood him as one of their own. He was Austrian, residing in Switzerland.

The most amazing thing Jürgens was probably that he was never embarrassed. Even if he at the end of a concert plated as an old man the white robe, he stuck at nothing ridiculous, but the garment seemed to give him more dignity. Had Jürgens towed somewhere in earlier years again a young woman who had his daughter may be that excited admiration rather than outrage. A similar fools freedom enjoyed in the former Federal Republic of possibly Harald Juhnke, when he had once again made a drunken stupor.

As Sunday’s death came the news of the evening Jürgens, invaded a once lines from his songs. The “Adieu, adieu, adieu” from “Merci Ch érie”. Or “A thousand years is a day.” All songs with depth. The Jürgens songs with lyrics plates had even given “Buenos Dias Argentina” about his hymn to Argentina anlässlisch the World Cup 1978, which left all the political reality in mind. But they had quickly forgotten and forgiven him as a slip-up, which belonged to the phenomenon Udo Jürgens.

In September, the ZDF recorded in Freiburg on a show for his birthday on. Young musicians interpreted his songs this evening. Tim Bendzko sang “Thank you for the flowers,” Lang Lang played this piano. Yvonette Catterfeld, Annett Louisan, Christina Stürmer occurred. Jürgens was very often moved this evening.

In Box office movies was to see again the young Udo Jürgens. His victory at the Grand Prix in 1966. And the great French chansonniers Gilbert Becaud as whose proximity he sought at that time. The cutouts led once again just how much comes Jürgens their tradition. With local show stars Rex Gildo or Roy Black him

Jürgens was most common, that he appeared in the same shows. Stood over the German Schlager and was also part of it. The best of his songs have depth as “A worthy house,” denounces the self-righteousness of philistinism. With “Red Poppy Flowers” he bemoaned the misery that brings drug abuse with it. And yet the songs worked as a cheerleader in beer tents and at the nightlife.

In the evening his Geburtstagala Jürgens looked annoyed once. Since it has been a decades-old film of “Candid Camera” recorded. It showed a young, blonde woman Jürgens during a concert again brings flowers to the stage, large plants and finally at the end of fir trees. A continuation of his lecture is impossible. What Jürgens irritated in the movie is not visible the green stuff, but the stunning young lady.

Just on this cliché he declined to be more determined in his old age. The time of prey capture was over. Although the woman with whom he spent his last years was hardly more than half his age. But she was not a 17-year-blond-hair-trophy after Jürgens Beuteschema, no decal previous affairs.

You could both watch at the after-show party following the ZDF gala in September. Jürgens hugged the young woman, she hugged him. They did so only when they knew that no press was nearby. One can in no man go look, certainly not if you only know him from a distance. But Udo Jürgens looked as if he had arrived.