25 years after his death, Austria’s biggest star Falco is more present than ever. New artists quote him and call him a role model. The young musician Nicotin is currently conquering the charts – with the support of Falco’s former companions.
Falco almost moderated his biggest world hit himself. In 1984, Austria’s hitherto biggest pop star is said to have stood in the music studio of the producer duo Bolland & Bolland in Hilversum, Holland, and lived through a particularly bad moment. “I’m not a singing Mozartkugel,” he said indignantly about a song text, his manager Horst Bork recalls. Before he started rapping, Falco is said to have added: “I hereby state that I only sing these lyrics under protest and pressure from my management and my record company.” What followed is music history, because the allegedly embarrassing number was to become his world hit: “Rock me Amadeus”.