Status: 11/21/2021 12:27 p.m.
His songs sound like American rock ‘n’ roll, which is why Ted Herold is also called the “German Elvis Presley”. Now he’s died. The 79-year-old was killed in an apartment fire in Dortmund.
The German rock’n’roll musician Ted Herold died on Saturday evening in an apartment fire in Dortmund. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Dortmund public prosecutor. Herold was 79 years old. According to media reports, his 48-year-old wife Manuela was also killed in the fire.
The great role model Elvis
The career of rock and roller Ted Herold began as a schoolboy in the 1950s – always based on his role models Bill Haley, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Hits like “Only the very first love is so beautiful”, “Hula Rock” or his greatest success “Moonlight” with 500,000 singles sold secured him top positions in the charts.
For several years, the Berlin-born artist mainly performed German cover versions of Elvis Presley. Because of these songs and his performances, Herold was quickly celebrated by his fans as the “German Elvis”. Herold is said to have met the “King of Rock’n’Roll” once in person.
Ted Herold alias Harald Walter Bernhard Schubring: the German Elvis and singer live in the 1980s.
Image: picture-alliance / jazzarchiv
But after a few years, Harald Schubring, Herold’s real name, experienced a career turnaround. “In 1961 Rock’n’Roll was practically dead. People wanted something new,” Herold remembered in 2012 on his 70th birthday. Twist was the name of the game, then came the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. At the end of the 1960s, things became much quieter for the German rock’n’roller, who was a trained electrical engineer and made his master’s degree in 1977.
With Udo Lindenberg on tour through Germany
It was Udo Lindenberg who rediscovered the musician Herold at this time. Lindenberg asked Herold to work on a song for his LP “Panische Nights” and to accompany him on a tour of Germany.
A new breakthrough for Ted Herold, new songs and contracts followed. His old titles were all released on CD. The singer was on top again, gave concerts, was a popular guest at gala events or on TV programs. In 2016 he said goodbye to the stage.