Sports icon and schlager singer Franz Beckenbauer was born in Munich, Germany on September 11, 1945. Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, the defender was nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ (The Emperor). Establishing himself as captain of the West German national team, he won the European Championship with the Mannschaft in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974. Franz Beckenbauer returned to the German team as coach and managed to win the world trophy in 1990. During his successful football career, Franz Beckenbauer branched out and became a recording artist. While not as successful as his athletic career, he released two singles on the Polydor Records label: “Du Allein” (1966) and “Du Bist Das Glück” (1967). Neither single was a hit but, surprisingly, a 2006 remix of "Gute Freunde Kann Niemand Trennen" – originally the B-side of “Du Allein” - became a Top 40 hit, reaching number 31 on the German singles chart. After a long illness, Frank Beckenbauer died on January 7, 2024, at the age of 78.
