Biography
Wolfgang Niedecken, a singer and songwriter, established his reputation chiefly as founder and frontman of the acclaimed German rock outfit BAP. At home he commands the stature of Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, delivering fervent material that confronts both private struggles and worldwide concerns. Born March 30, 1951, in Cologne, Germany, he assembled his debut group in 1966 while enrolled at boarding school and gigged with assorted regional ensembles before completing an art degree at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences in 1974. A practiced visual artist, he personally creates artwork for many of his own album sleeves. He launched BAP in 1976; the ensemble steadily earned praise from reviewers and listeners alike until the 1981 breakthrough single “Verdamp Lang Her,” a forceful meditation on fractured family ties taken from the album Für Usszeschnigge!, propelled them forward. Over the ensuing decades BAP became one of Germany’s most enduring acts, issuing nineteen albums between 1983 and 2011. Alongside his music, Niedecken championed an array of political and social causes, among them anti-racism initiatives and African aid projects, while inaugurating a restrained solo career in 1987 with the topical collection Schlagzeiten. His follow-up solo album, 1995’s Leopardefell, saluted a central influence by offering German-language versions of seventeen Bob Dylan songs. By the time he had settled into the role of elder statesman of German rock—frequently invited onstage by his friend Bruce Springsteen during the American’s European tours—Niedecken suffered a severe stroke in November 2011 that prompted BAP to cancel all remaining dates. He mounted a striking return in 2013 with the solo album Zosamme Alt, which honored his wife, his family, and his own recovery. The record sold briskly, and Niedecken surveyed his life in the two-volume autobiography Für’ne Moment (2012) and Zugabe (2013).
Singles
