| Capital: | € 40 million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 93 |
| Born: | June 30, 1926 |
| Country of origin: | Austria |
| Source of wealth: | Singer |
| Last updated: | 2024 |
Short introduction
Peter Alexander was an Austrian singer, actor and entertainer who was one of the most popular stars in German-speaking countries for many decades. In his films he was mostly heard as a singer, and many of his records were huge successes with the audience. In 2011 the singer died at the age of 84 in his native city of Vienna.
Early life
In 1944, Peter Alexander, born in Vienna in 1926 as the son of a bank councilor, originally Peter Alexander Neumayer, was still drawn into the war as a soldier. In 1945 he was captured by the British. In the period leading up to his release, he continued to test his talent, which had arisen during his school years, in many areas of entertainment – from parodying to singing. He was supposed to study medicine at the request of his parents, but he broke off quickly. Instead, he completed acting training, which he graduated with distinction in 1948. Peter Alexander taught himself singing and piano, and first appearances quickly followed. He released his first record in 1951. From then on, a career that was unprecedented in terms of length, in German-speaking countries, began as a varied entertainer.
Career
On the one hand, Peter Alexander primarily recorded Schlager, but was also active in the genre of operettas. In 1965, when he had already had several successes, he won the Munich hit competition. By 1981 alone he had 38 top ten hits in the German charts and had been featured in the top 100 with different titles 80 times. He released his last album in 1991, by then he had recorded a total of 156 singles and 120 long-playing records. In Germany alone, the sales figures of his plants are estimated at over 46 million to date.
He also started a career as a showmaster on television and as an actor in feature films, in which he mostly sang. A process that increased its already great popularity in unimagined spheres.
He had already made his first film in 1948, and by the end of his acting career in 1972 over 30 feature films had been added. In the 1950s and early 1960s in particular, he was active in this field, sometimes making four films in one year, as in 1956 or 1959.
As an entertainer and showmaster, Peter Alexander remained in the audience far beyond his last feature film. The Peter Alexander shows, which were shown on German television from 1963 to 1996, were particularly popular. With these shows, the entertainer achieved ratings that were only known from soccer world championships.
He also regularly toured Germany, Austria and Switzerland with his musical and entertaining performances. During this time he was together with another Austrian, Udo Jürgens, the most successful artist in this area for many years.
When he retired with his 70th birthday in relation to TV appearances, one of the most successful post-war artists in the entire German-speaking area ended his career. In 2011 Peter Alexander finally died in his hometown Vienna after he was sporadically seen on TV for special occasions. He had previously transferred his fortune of 40 million euros to a foundation.
In addition to numerous awards within the entertainment industry, Peter Alexander received the great badge of honor for services to the Republic of Austria in 1985 and the honorary ring of the City of Vienna in 1984.
Career highlights
Perhaps his most successful single was the play “Die kleine Kneipe”, a cover version of a Dutch play by Vader Abraham. In 1986 he recorded songs with the German national soccer team on the album “Mexico mi amor”, which was a great nationwide success.
As an actor, his most popular and most successful role was that of Waiter Leopold in the operetta adaptation “Im Weißen Rößl”. His television appearances amounted to almost 200, one of which is hardly possible to highlight.
Famous quotes
“Television has become so brutal, ordinary and cheap. In a few years, pretty much all of the taboos fell and good taste fell by the wayside. ”
“I hate routine, I only use it in an emergency. I still enjoy doing my job and “from the gut” – people can feel that. ”
“I keep getting scripts sent to me – but there is so much junk. I could play foresters, pastors or doctors at any time. But if a book came out with quality, I could imagine making a film again. ”
“Quotas are the enemy of every quality! And what I don’t understand: viewers pay fees for the public channels. Don’t you have any rights there? ”
Amazing facts
Even before his death, his fortune was transferred to a foundation that would benefit his two children after his death. Both of Peter Alexander’s children have died in the meantime, and his daughter even during his lifetime.
In 2012, a square in Vienna’s Döbling district was renamed Peter-Alexander-Platz.
His villa in Vienna was demolished by the new owner in 2018 after the sale.
