Stefan Raab

Stefan Raab, a German musician, comedian, and television personality, entered the world in Cologne during 1966. Before launching his music career in 1990, he experimented with law school and spent time working as a butcher. From that point until 1996 he operated as an independent producer and jingle composer, after which the VIVA channel recruited him to front its comedy program Vivavision. In 1999 he launched his own late-night series, TV Total, whose style has drawn comparisons to a blend of Conan O'Brien and Ricky Gervais. Alongside his primary role as a television host, Raab has sustained a parallel output of hit singles. One early example, the track “Guildo Hat Euch Lieb” that he penned for Guildo Horn, served as Germany’s 1998 Eurovision entry. Two years later he himself competed in the same contest with the novelty disco number “Wadde Hadde Dudde Da?” (What Do You Have There?). During 2004 Raab staged an on-air search for Germany’s next Eurovision contender under the banner SSDSGPS, or “Stefan Seeks the Super Grand Prix Star,” a deliberate send-up of Deutschland Sucht den Superstar, commonly shortened to DSDS. The segment’s victor, Maximilian Mutzke, ultimately finished eighth at that year’s Eurovision final. The following year Raab originated the Bundesvision Song Contest, an annual event that fields sixteen entrants—one from each of Germany’s sixteen federal states. Among its early champions were Juli in 2005, Seeed in 2006, and Oomph! in 2007.