Bill Ramsey is dead. In the 1960s, the American singer on the radio and in German cinema, with his grumpy rasping voice and clear accent, was the ubiquitous embodiment of the uncle from America, the friendly liberator. Instead of chocolate and chewing gum, he brought real American show business – and a bunch of German cover versions of Anglo-Saxon hits by Elvis, Fats Domino or the Beatles With.
Together with the producer and composer Heinz Gietz, he landed at the top of the German hit parade with relentless regularity. “Sugar doll (from the belly dance troupe)”, “Zicke Zacke Hoi” and the title song from the screwball comedy “Mimi never goes to bed without a thriller” were among his greatest German hits.
Jazz remained his true passion – but success overwhelmed his hip side
Ramsey was born in 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio, an industrial town in the heart of America, which perhaps explains why the bitter charm of post-war Frankfurt was so enchanting. Unlike so many GIs and musicians traveling through, he did not stay in Europe for a while, but forever. He actually studied business administration and sociology at Yale University. With the Korean War, however, conscription was reintroduced. Ramsey was lucky and ended up not at the front, but in Frankfurt.
There he was discovered in the jazz cellar as a singer for the soldier broadcaster AFN. He was soon performing with Paul Kuhn, Kurt Edelhagen and James Last. At that time he was still singing jazz. Until it landed in hit songs through musical films. In 1959 he had his first number 1 hit with “Souvenirs”, and his second in 1961 with “Pigalle (The Big Mouse Trap)”.
Jazz remained his real passion. But success rolled over his hip side. He starred in more than thirty films. He moderated radio and television programs such as “Schlager für Schlappohren” and “Talentschuppen” and toured into old age. On Friday he fell asleep peacefully in his last hometown, Hamburg, as his family announced. He was 90 years old.