Fred Bertelmann

Born on 7 October 1925 in Germany, the vocalist served as the Teutonic counterpart to Britain’s David Whitfield. His light operatic tenor saturated airwaves and screens across the country throughout the latter half of the 1950s. With striking dark features and a magnetic on-screen presence, he stood, at least for a short time and by some measures, as the nation’s leading singer, even if his reach beyond domestic borders remained limited. Under contract with Electrola, he maintained steady chart presence at home through the close of the decade, reaching his commercial peak with the 1958 release ‘Der Lachend Vagabund (The Laughing Vagabond)’, supported by the Hansen Quartet’s vocal harmonies. The track moved more than two million units and ranks among Germany’s enduring top sellers. From 1955 to 1963 he placed twelve singles inside the national Top 40.