Henry Valentino was born Hans-Bernd Blum in Hanover on May 23, 1928. He is a German singer, composer and songwriter who is primarily known as a pop singer and creator of numerous successful pop songs. He became known under his stage name Henry Valentino, a fictional character he created himself, which he gave a hat, moustache and a raspy singing voice, although his normal voice is clear and soft. His greatest success as a performer was the humorous hit "Im Wagen vor mir" from 1977, which he released as a duet with Uschi and which became a catchy tune of the time. Hans-Bernd Blum, alias Henry Valentino, also worked in the background of the pop music industry for decades. He writes and produces songs for numerous colleagues, including Howard Carpendale, Wencke Myhre, Boney M. and Hildegard Knef. Songs from his pen have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest several times. His most active years as a composer and musician were in the 1960s and 1970s. Henry Valentino lived in Overath near Cologne for a long time before dying peacefully at home on March 15, 2024 at the age of 95. In addition to "Im Wagen vor mir" (1977), his other famous titles include songs such as "Engel in Palermo " and "Es sprach mich ein Engel an", which he published over the course of his career. As a composer, he wrote hits such as "Das schöne Mädchen von Seite eins" (for Howard Carpendale) and "Beiß nicht gleich in jedem Apfel" (for Wencke Myhre).
