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Klaus MeineVocalist of the band "Scorpions"
Date of Birth: 25.05.1948
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Biography of Klaus Meine
- Early Career and Joining Scorpions
- Success with Scorpions and Health Challenges
- Personal Life and Interests
Biography of Klaus Meine
Early Life and Musical InfluencesKlaus Meine, a German rock musician, singer, guitarist, and poet-songwriter, is best known as the vocalist of the band Scorpions. He was born on May 25, 1948, in Hanover, Germany, to a working-class family. During World War II, his father worked for the Red Cross. In his youth, Klaus was passionate about The Beatles and Elvis Presley, like many young people during the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s. His intense love for English rock music eventually led him to pursue a career as a vocalist.
Early Career and Joining Scorpions
Recognizing Klaus's desire for creative self-expression, his parents bought him a guitar, which he mastered in just two months. While self-teaching himself, Meine also attended singing lessons. His first vocal teacher had a unique teaching method: when he couldn't hit a note, the teacher would poke Klaus with needles. After completing his secondary education in 1964, the ambitious young man enrolled in a local design college and worked as a driver and sang in bands like "The Mushrooms" and "Copernicus." As a student, Klaus met guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who proposed that the talented vocalist join him in forming their own band. At the time, Meine dismissed the idea as a waste of time and declined the offer.
After the disbandment of Copernicus, Klaus Meine accepted Rudolf Schenker's offer and joined the emerging popular music group Scorpions. Together with the Schenker brothers, Klaus Meine went through the period of shaping the musical style of the band, progressively recording heavier albums. The breakthrough came in 1979 when the album Lovedrive successfully conquered the music charts in the United States.
Success with Scorpions and Health Challenges
In 1981, Scorpions reached the peak of their popularity, but Klaus Meine started experiencing vocal problems while preparing to record the album Blackout. Initially believed to be a common cold, it turned out to be a fungal infection of the vocal cords. Meine wanted to leave Scorpions to not hinder their success, but the band members convinced him to recover fully and return to the group. After two surgeries and almost a year of rehabilitation, he made a comeback. Ultimately, the album Blackout became one of the band's most successful records, reaching the 10th position on the Billboard chart, and the song "No One Like You" topped the Mainstream Rock Chart.
Two years later, the album Love at First Sting was released. This platinum record included hits such as "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Bad Boys Running Wild," "Coming Home," "Big City Nights," and "Still Loving You." Meine participated in the recording of all the band's albums, despite joining Scorpions four years after its formation. Together with Rudolf Schenker, Klaus became the author of most of the band's songs, including their most successful song, "Wind of Change."
Personal Life and Interests
In 2006, Klaus Meine was ranked 22nd in Hit Parader magazine's list of the 100 greatest metal vocalists of all time. He has been married to Gabi Meine since 1977, and they have a son named Christian (born in 1985).
Outside of music, Klaus enjoys football and tennis. He once expressed his thoughts of becoming a tennis coach if he were to leave the music industry. He is a supporter of the German club "Hannover 96." On stage, he has been known to wear a beret with a cockade placed on the left side of the hat.
