Born on December 11, 1942, in Leizig, Germany, Frank Schöbel is a musician and schlager/pop vocalist. Initially, he was one of socialst East Germany’s (GDR) most successful performers and remained popular after the reunification of Germany. Born into a musical family – his mother was opera singer Käthe Brinkmann – his musical talents were discovered early and at the age of 7, he prepared to join the St. Thomas Choir. However, he chose not to join because he was more in interested in pop music. He first pursued a career as a musician in the 1960s, but also became an entertainer and host of several television shows. He released his first singles – “Blonder Stern” and “Teenager-Träume” – in 1964. He married vocalist Chris Doerk and the couple won the GDR Schlager competition in 1967 and 1969. His first solo hit in East Germany was 1971’s "Wie ein Stern", which sold over 500,000 copies in both East and West Germany. Because of his popularity, Frank Schöbel was the first East German pop artist invited to perform in West Germany. He continued to score hits including “Komm, Wir Malen Eine Sonne” (1975). In 1985, Frank Schöbel and his family released the holiday album Weihnachten In Familie, which became the best-selling album in East Germany’s history. Surprisingly, in 2007, there was a resurgence in popularity for his 1971 hit “Wie ein Stern” when it was featured in the Academy Award-winning film The Lives of Others. Frank Schöbel continues to tour and record and remains a German pop music icon.
