Fred Bertelmann

b. 7 October 1925, Germany. Teutonic opposite number to Britain’s David Whitfield, his light operatic tenor was omnipresent on German radio and television in the late 50s. Darkly handsome and engaging before the cameras, he was briefly, if arguably, Germany’s most popular singer - though commercial penetration into other territories was minor at most. Signed to Electrola, he enjoyed domestic chart success until the end of the decade, his biggest hit being 1958’s ‘Der Lachend Vagabund (The Laughing Vagabond)’, on which he was accompanied by the vocal harmonies of the Hansen Quartet. Selling over two million copies, ‘Der Lachend Vagabund’ was one of Germany’s all-time bestsellers. Between 1955 and 1963 he had 12 Top 40 hits in his homeland.