Herbert Grönemeyer

伯特·格林迈尔是德国史上最畅销的流行歌手，在德国乐坛地位超然，早在上世纪80年代，他的多张唱片就已在国内家喻户晓，并成为非英语歌手录制“MTV不插电”第一人。2003年，赫特获得两项Echo Awards（德国最高音乐奖项）。德国作为2006年世界杯东道主，选择被誉为“欧洲英雄”的德国超级天王赫伯特激情演绎本届世界杯会歌，可谓本届世界杯的一个亮点。
Perhaps best known to international audiences for his performance in Wolfgang Petersen's much-acclaimed film Das Boot, in his native Germany Herbert Grönemeyer is celebrated among the most successful rock singers of his generation. Born April 12, 1956, in Göttingen, Grönemeyer first earned attention as an actor, beginning his career in the 1977 German telefilm Die Geisel. His debut LP, Ocean Orchestra, appeared a year later to little notice, and the follow-up, Grönemeyer, attracted scant attention as well. In 1981, he landed the role of Lt. Werner in the World War II epic Das Boot, which emerged as an international commercial and critical hit, earning six Academy Award nominations. Grönemeyer nevertheless walked away from film to concentrate on his music career. In 1984, he signed to EMI and issued 4630 Bochum, which went on to become the biggest-selling German-language LP in music history to date. A gravel-voiced, blue-collar stadium rocker best likened to American acts such as Bob Seger and John Mellencamp, Grönemeyer also favored topical lyrics that mirrored his growing influence as an activist. In the mid-'80s, he led protests against ozone-depleting CFC gases, and in 1992 founded the anti-racism group Ich Bin ein Ausländer (I Am a Foreigner). Albums including 1986's Sprünge and 1988's Ö kept Grönemeyer atop the German charts, and in 1991 he recorded his first English-language effort, Luxus, which failed to accurately translate the intricacies and nuances of his original lyrics. He became the first German act to appear on MTV Unplugged in 1995, and a year later again tried to crack the English-language market, with Chaos. In the wake of 1998's Bleibt Alles Anders, Grönemeyer suffered extraordinary personal tragedy when his wife Anna and his brother Wilhelm both died of cancer within the same week; he dropped from sight in the weeks and months to follow, although in 1999 he co-founded his own label, Grönland, which boasts a vast and eclectic catalog including the complete output of the pioneering Krautrock outfit Neu! Grönemeyer finally resurfaced in 2002 with a new LP, Mensch, a deeply personal effort informed by his recent losses. The title track went on to become his first-ever number one single, and the album sold in excess of 3.2 million copies, breaking his own record set via 4630 Bochum. Time awarded Grönemeyer the title of "European Hero" in 2005 on behalf of his humanitarian efforts, which by this time included his work leading the Deine Stimme Gegen Armut (Your Voice Against Poverty) campaign. The following summer he recorded "Zeit Dass Sich Was Dreht" (Celebrate the Day), the official anthem of World Cup 2006.