Status: 04/11/2023 3:19 p.m
Willy Millowitsch brought her on stage and at the carnival she sang her way into the hearts of the people of Cologne. Lotti Krekel has now died at the age of 81. This was confirmed to the WDR by her family.
Her talent was discovered early – a coincidence made it possible: the father of the rock singer Marius Müller-Westernhagen met Lotti Krekel’s mother, found the girl sympathetic and gave the mother a letter of recommendation for WDR. That’s how Lotti Krekel came to WDR children’s radio at the age of five.
It all started with WDR children’s radio
Lotti Krekel then quickly discovered her passion for acting. She had her first stage roles as a child actress at the Cologne theater in “Peterchens Mondfahrt”. She was supported by her mother, who wanted to be an actress herself. After graduating from high school in 1958, Lotti Krekel graduated from the Higher Commercial School in Cologne and took acting, singing and dancing lessons alongside school.
Lotti Krekel died
4/11/2023 3:10 p.m
Telegram from Millowitsch: The start of an acting career
With her debut at the Millowitsch Theater in Cologne in 1958 came Lotti Krekel’s breakthrough as an actress. She starred in the farce The Spanish Fly alongside Willy and Lucy Millowitsch. In a telegram, Willy Millowitsch asked her if she wanted to take on the role.
Lotti Krekel and Ernst H. Hilbich in the comedy “Schneider Wibbel” at the Millowitsch Theater in Cologne (1977).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Through the numerous television broadcasts from the Millowitsch Theater, Lotti Krekel finally became known nationwide. Roles in television films, television series and cinema films followed. She played with Willy Millowitsch so often that she was nicknamed the “Millowitsch daughter”.
With courage for the first hit: Mer give the Ahl a few Blöömscher
Singing was her second great passion, so she shaped the Cologne carnival in particular. In December 1969, she first performed in a duet with the song “Ne Visit to the Zoo”, the first successful song by the composer of carnival songs, Hans Knipp.
Lotti Krekel, singer and actress
4/11/2023 3:10 p.m
His most famous song, which became a carnival evergreen, is the thoughtful “Mer give d’r Ahl e Paar Blöömscher”. Lotti Krekel explained to an editor at WDR that she could sing the song better – and the attempt became a hit.
Lotti Krekel (left) Gisbert Baltes (2nd from left) “De Nippeser” Uli Teichmann (2nd from right) sing a farewell song to Cologne’s biggest clown, Hans Süper.
Image: WDR/Christa Dederich
Numerous recordings followed. In the 1970s, Lotti Krekel moderated the weekly carnival hit parade of West German Radio every year during the session.
Her private life was also shaped by art: her half-sister was Hildegard Krekel, also a well-known actress who died of cancer in 2013. Lotti Krekel had an intimate relationship with her.
Lotti Krekel was Cologne’s “delicious girl”
Lotti Krekel and Ernst H. Hilbich kiss (2003)
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Lotti Krekel was also in a relationship with an actor. For 27 years she lived with Ernst Hilbich in “wild marriage”. In 2003 she married her longtime partner. Even in the later years of her life, Lotti Krekel still made occasional appearances. She lived in Cologne-Marienburg and is mainly remembered by the people of Cologne under her nickname “yummy girl”.
Source: wdr.de