Soloist of the group "Scorpions" Klaus Meine: biography, interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Scorpion soloist Klaus Meine, whose biography is distinguished by professional brightness and respectable monotony in his personal life, according to most music experts, is one of the best vocalists in the world. Every time the song Still loving you starts, the listeners get goosebumps from such a strong and expressive timbre.

Childhood and youth. First steps in music

The legendary lead singer of the "Scorpions" Klaus Meine was born in Germany on May 25, 1948. Hometown is Hannover. The Klaus family belonged to the working class, and there were no prerequisites for the birth of such a unique and large-scale personality in it. However, even in early childhood, parents began to notice the boy's extraordinary musicality.

They encouraged their son's passion and even gave him a real guitar for one of his birthdays. Klaus studied perfectly and perfectly combinedstudy with music lessons. His home performances in front of relatives and friends became a favorite entertainment for the family.

First steps in music

The most inspiring and guiding experience was getting to know the music of the Beatles. He was 9 years old when he first heard the Beatles on one of the radio stations. Then, as a reference, the novice musician chose the personality of Elvis Presley, whose performances simply fascinated Meine. Throughout his musical career, the lead singer of the Scorpions, whose biography is directly related to youthful musical tastes, recalls Elvis as a role model and does not hesitate to consciously repeat some of the techniques of the great king of rock and roll.

Commitment to modern rock determined not only the musical preferences of the young Maine, but also his image, and in many ways - his way of life.

At the initial stages of musical formation, not everything went smoothly with vocals. Klaus had a very peculiar teacher who, if one of the students did not go well, pricked them with an ordinary needle. This method of teaching paid off, in the end, Klaus learned excellent vocals, but he still laughingly recalls how, in retaliation for a cruel teacher, before the next lesson, he bought a large thick needle and pricked the teacher in the fifth point with it.

Professional development

Surprisingly, the future lead singer of the "Scorpions" chose a profession not related to music. To a large extent, the decisioninfluenced by parents. Despite the fact that they supported their son in his passion for music, they sought to give him a firmer footing in the form of a mastered profession as a decorator. And after receiving the profession, he was free to do as he pleased. This was the position of parents who dreamed of a prosperous future for their child.

Scorpions: lineup

The fame of the insanely talented and indefatigable vocalist reached the music circles while still in college. Klaus had the opportunity to choose which band he wanted to play in. Offers poured in, as if from a cornucopia, and Klaus chose the Mushrooms group. The group was quite popular, and it was in its composition that Meine attracted the attention of Rudolf Schenker, at that time an aspiring guitarist. But even when the Scorpions began their full-fledged existence, ironically, Klaus ended up in other bands, often competing with the legendary group.

So, the future soloist of the "Scorpions" group became the soloist of Copernicus. It became a fundamental task for Rudolf Schenker to lure him away from this group, since his younger brother Michael played there, the musical confrontation with which was a long and painful one. As a result, the case ended with the victory of Rudolf, and Klaus ended up in the Scorpions team. Together with him, Michael Schenker also joined the group. It happened in 1969. No matter how often the soloists of the Scorpions changed earlier, the composition of the group was finally formed.

First album

In the same year thatthe group finally formed and acquired its voice, the novice musicians managed to win one of the competitions, where the prize was the opportunity to record their songs in a real studio. However, the joy was short-lived - the studio was equipped with outdated equipment, which did not allow to convey the full depth of the sound of rock compositions. The musicians did their best, Klaus even tried to sing with his head in a bucket, but all these tricks were useless. This setback delayed the release of their first album, but did not cancel it. So, in 1972 they released their debut album called Lonesome Crow. Produced by Koni Plank. Even then, a landmark for the international level was noticeable - all songs were recorded in English. It was Meine's own decision. The album was not a great success, but allowed the budding band to light up well in the starry sky.

Meet Gaby

1972 became a symbolic year for Klaus not only in terms of a musical breakthrough, but also in his personal life. It was then that he met his first and only love, Gaby. Their acquaintance happened after one of the many concerts. The difference of 7 years did not stop the couple. And, despite the fact that Gaby was very young at the time (16 years old), the choice she made turned out to be the right one.

She repeatedly shared with reporters her impressions of meeting her future husband. Despite the status of a rock star, in life Klaus turned out to be a caring and faithful man. Mutual love and affection in their relationship over the years onlygrows stronger. In December 1985, Gabi gave birth to a son, Klaus.

World triumph

Despite the cool attitude of the public to the first album, subsequent records conquered the listeners one after another. In 1979, their popularity reached the United States of America. Explosive hits and melodic rock ballads drove fans around the world crazy. Their famous world tour World Wide Live was an absolute triumph.

Loss of voice and return to stage

But before the start of the world tour, the band faced a serious test - Klaus lost his voice. His main intention was to leave the "Scorpions", so as not to interfere with the further creativity of the team. However, the members of the group were not just colleagues in the musical workshop, but also true friends. It was their support that helped Maina return to the profession of a musician. Surgery was required to restore his voice, and after two operations on the ligaments, Maine regained the ability to sing. I had to train a lot, rehearse, but he continued to work day after day. And the unbelievable happened - Maine's voice changed. His possibilities became even wider, the same songs sounded completely different.

Growth in popularity

Scorpions have reached incredible heights of people's love around the world. They became the first band from Germany to successfully perform three times in New York at Madison Square Garden. Their albums topped the US and European charts one by one.

The most sought-after album in rock history is Scorpions undercalled Love At First Sting. The most striking performances are considered to be a concert in California in front of 325 thousand spectators, as well as a performance in Brazil in front of 350 thousand people.

Scorpions and Russian fans

USSR legendary band first visited in 1988. Concerts in Moscow were disrupted due to the principled nature of the organizers - they refused to remove the seats for spectators from the stalls. The group refused to perform. At the same time, 10 concerts took place in Leningrad. It was unprecedented that the team performed every day without interruption and gathered full houses. The musicians will remember their stay in Russia for a long time. Subsequently, even the cassette To Russia With Love was released.

After a year since the Leningrad concerts, Scorpions received an offer to take part in the Moscow Music and Peace Festival, along with other rock bands. The team happily agreed. The crowd of Russian fans, numbering more than two hundred thousand people, enthusiastically greeted the musicians. The world-famous hit Wind of Change was recorded by Klaus under the influence of impressions from concerts in the USSR. Later, expressing deep respect for the Soviet public, the musicians created a Russian-language version of this song. As a result, Mikhail Gorbachev himself joined the ranks of Scorpions fans, inviting the group's team to a meeting in the Kremlin.

A new stage in the life of the band

The 2000s marked a new important stage in the band's creative life. So, in June 2000, a new album saw the lightScorpions, which was recorded in collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The usual hits sounded completely different, and this fresh breath of change brought even more loyal Scorpions fans, the band's biography overcame a new important turn.

Over the past years, the band has been actively touring, organizing one tour after another, including new programs. In 2010, a new album was recorded called - Sting In The Tail, followed by new tours around the world.

In 2015, the Scorpions flew to St. Petersburg to hold a series of concerts and celebrate Klaus' birthday. According to the musician, he has a special emotional connection with Russian fans, which is simply impossible to break. That is why the team returns to Russia over and over again and readily performs for Russian fans.

Scorpions ("Scorpions") - a group whose biography is still striking in its stable development and enduring love of the public.

Klaus Meine in life

According to the opinions of people around Klaus, in life he has little in common with the stage image that we are used to. Unstoppable on stage, in reality he is serious, very focused and attentive. In communication, he is distinguished by radiant sincerity, kindness and intelligence.

Besides being a member of the Scorpions, Meine is also active in other areas of life. So, one of his favorite activities is sports. He loves football most of all and isnot only a fierce fan of his native Hanoverian football club, but also a player, however, an unprofessional one. Klaus devotes a lot of time to sports, especially before concerts. It is a known fact that before the performance, Maine alone with himself can perform an exercise for the press a hundred times and, as a vocal warm-up, makes loud, almost inhuman sounds. Another favorite game is tennis, for which there is not enough time in recent years. According to Meine, sports help him tune in to the right wave.

Indisputable fact - the singer is in excellent physical shape, despite the fact that he is 67 years old. Many do not believe this figure, and each time they ask themselves how old the lead singer of the Scorpions group is. The reason is not only in regular sports, but also in the fact that Klaus Meine is an example of an intellectual and harmonious person, who accepts with joy and gratitude all the victories and trials that come his way.