A singer and entertainer of Polish decent, Carol was born in Berlin as Gerhard Tschierschnitz and was one of the biggest stars of the 50s and 60s. In contrast to many people of his era, he lived an adventurous lifestyle. Such can be highlighted through his love of big American cars and women.
Once released as a prisoner of war in France, he changed his name to make it more French, adopting his last name from his first love, Martine Carol. Saying he was from Capri, he found work as a singer in a famous cabaret called Bal Tabard. After a year in Paris, he returned to Germany, where he started showcasing his ability at mimicry, imitating singers such as Tino Rossi (his favorite singer), Theo Lingen, Zarah Leander, and Hans Moser, singing in English, French, German, and Italian.
Carol sang the famous Italian hits "O sole Mio," "Bella Donna," and "Santa Lucia." Although his main fan base was located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, he performed widely internationally. Radio Luxembourg, which was one of the biggest radio stations in Europe, played Carol's music frequently. In 1949, he tried his luck as an easy listening singer, recording "Am Zuckerhut, Am Zuckerhut" with Willy Schneider and Danielle Marc; it defined the period. In 1950, he recorded with Lonny Kellner the beautiful song "Im Hafen von Adano" (It happened in Adano). His next solo, and probably his biggest hit, was 1952's "Rote Rosen, Rote Lippen, Rote Wein," which thrust him onto the cover of the magazine "Der Spiegel." It sold 500,000 copies -- the first German golden record after World War II. With evergreen hits such as "Bella donna" (1953), "Wenn es noch Marchen gibt" (1945), "Mitten im Mier," and "Kein Land kann schoener" (1960). Even after he produced hits such as "Hafenmarie" (1961), "Ein Vagabunden Herz" (1961), "Der rote Wein" (1962), and "Bianca Rosa" (1964). He also recorded a record in Canada, which is extremely hard to find; Canada released a postage stamp of him!
In the 70s, he tried a comeback with a small record company near Bonn. In 1977, he released "Wo ist der Weg nach Dvorovi." This second career, however, didn't last very long. Carol's life was brought to an abrupt end when the artist was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after on April 9, 1978, in Minden.
Once released as a prisoner of war in France, he changed his name to make it more French, adopting his last name from his first love, Martine Carol. Saying he was from Capri, he found work as a singer in a famous cabaret called Bal Tabard. After a year in Paris, he returned to Germany, where he started showcasing his ability at mimicry, imitating singers such as Tino Rossi (his favorite singer), Theo Lingen, Zarah Leander, and Hans Moser, singing in English, French, German, and Italian.
Carol sang the famous Italian hits "O sole Mio," "Bella Donna," and "Santa Lucia." Although his main fan base was located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, he performed widely internationally. Radio Luxembourg, which was one of the biggest radio stations in Europe, played Carol's music frequently. In 1949, he tried his luck as an easy listening singer, recording "Am Zuckerhut, Am Zuckerhut" with Willy Schneider and Danielle Marc; it defined the period. In 1950, he recorded with Lonny Kellner the beautiful song "Im Hafen von Adano" (It happened in Adano). His next solo, and probably his biggest hit, was 1952's "Rote Rosen, Rote Lippen, Rote Wein," which thrust him onto the cover of the magazine "Der Spiegel." It sold 500,000 copies -- the first German golden record after World War II. With evergreen hits such as "Bella donna" (1953), "Wenn es noch Marchen gibt" (1945), "Mitten im Mier," and "Kein Land kann schoener" (1960). Even after he produced hits such as "Hafenmarie" (1961), "Ein Vagabunden Herz" (1961), "Der rote Wein" (1962), and "Bianca Rosa" (1964). He also recorded a record in Canada, which is extremely hard to find; Canada released a postage stamp of him!
In the 70s, he tried a comeback with a small record company near Bonn. In 1977, he released "Wo ist der Weg nach Dvorovi." This second career, however, didn't last very long. Carol's life was brought to an abrupt end when the artist was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after on April 9, 1978, in Minden.
A singer and entertainer of Polish decent, Carol was born in Berlin as Gerhard Tschierschnitz and was one of the biggest stars of the 50s and 60s. In contrast to many people of his era, he lived an adventurous lifestyle. Such can be highlighted through his love of big American cars and women.
Once released as a prisoner of war in France, he changed his name to make it more French, adopting his last name from his first love, Martine Carol. Saying he was from Capri, he found work as a singer in a famous cabaret called Bal Tabard. After a year in Paris, he returned to Germany, where he started showcasing his ability at mimicry, imitating singers such as Tino Rossi (his favorite singer), Theo Lingen, Zarah Leander, and Hans Moser, singing in English, French, German, and Italian.
Carol sang the famous Italian hits "O sole Mio," "Bella Donna," and "Santa Lucia." Although his main fan base was located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, he performed widely internationally. Radio Luxembourg, which was one of the biggest radio stations in Europe, played Carol's music frequently. In 1949, he tried his luck as an easy listening singer, recording "Am Zuckerhut, Am Zuckerhut" with Willy Schneider and Danielle Marc; it defined the period. In 1950, he recorded with Lonny Kellner the beautiful song "Im Hafen von Adano" (It happened in Adano). His next solo, and probably his biggest hit, was 1952's "Rote Rosen, Rote Lippen, Rote Wein," which thrust him onto the cover of the magazine "Der Spiegel." It sold 500,000 copies -- the first German golden record after World War II. With evergreen hits such as "Bella donna" (1953), "Wenn es noch Marchen gibt" (1945), "Mitten im Mier," and "Kein Land kann schoener" (1960). Even after he produced hits such as "Hafenmarie" (1961), "Ein Vagabunden Herz" (1961), "Der rote Wein" (1962), and "Bianca Rosa" (1964). He also recorded a record in Canada, which is extremely hard to find; Canada released a postage stamp of him!
In the 70s, he tried a comeback with a small record company near Bonn. In 1977, he released "Wo ist der Weg nach Dvorovi." This second career, however, didn't last very long. Carol's life was brought to an abrupt end when the artist was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after on April 9, 1978, in Minden.
Once released as a prisoner of war in France, he changed his name to make it more French, adopting his last name from his first love, Martine Carol. Saying he was from Capri, he found work as a singer in a famous cabaret called Bal Tabard. After a year in Paris, he returned to Germany, where he started showcasing his ability at mimicry, imitating singers such as Tino Rossi (his favorite singer), Theo Lingen, Zarah Leander, and Hans Moser, singing in English, French, German, and Italian.
Carol sang the famous Italian hits "O sole Mio," "Bella Donna," and "Santa Lucia." Although his main fan base was located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, he performed widely internationally. Radio Luxembourg, which was one of the biggest radio stations in Europe, played Carol's music frequently. In 1949, he tried his luck as an easy listening singer, recording "Am Zuckerhut, Am Zuckerhut" with Willy Schneider and Danielle Marc; it defined the period. In 1950, he recorded with Lonny Kellner the beautiful song "Im Hafen von Adano" (It happened in Adano). His next solo, and probably his biggest hit, was 1952's "Rote Rosen, Rote Lippen, Rote Wein," which thrust him onto the cover of the magazine "Der Spiegel." It sold 500,000 copies -- the first German golden record after World War II. With evergreen hits such as "Bella donna" (1953), "Wenn es noch Marchen gibt" (1945), "Mitten im Mier," and "Kein Land kann schoener" (1960). Even after he produced hits such as "Hafenmarie" (1961), "Ein Vagabunden Herz" (1961), "Der rote Wein" (1962), and "Bianca Rosa" (1964). He also recorded a record in Canada, which is extremely hard to find; Canada released a postage stamp of him!
In the 70s, he tried a comeback with a small record company near Bonn. In 1977, he released "Wo ist der Weg nach Dvorovi." This second career, however, didn't last very long. Carol's life was brought to an abrupt end when the artist was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after on April 9, 1978, in Minden.
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