Patrick Lindner

Patrick Lindner, the German singer and actor born Friedrich Gunther Raab on September 27, 1960, in Munich, was employed as a cook when his debut single achieved major success across Germany in 1989, launching a dual career in recording and acting defined as much by controversy as by achievement. Openly gay, Lindner and his partner at the time, Michael Link, drew widespread attention in 1999 by adopting a child from Russia, and fresh headlines followed for Lindner in 2003 after charges of tax evasion were filed against him. The pair ended their relationship in 2005. Regardless of the ongoing public disputes, or perhaps partly because of them, Lindner has sustained his status as a well-known entertainer in Germany.