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| Klaus Meine |
Klaus Meine (born May 25, 1948, Hannover, Germany) is a German singer, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the heavy metal/hard rock band Scorpions.
Meine is well-noted for his unique countertenor voice, strong German accent and polished delivery which ranges from high notes to soft ballads, and is respected worldwide for his support for music and human rights.
Meine writes most of, but not all of, the lyrics to Scorpions' songs. He also shares the authorship of some lyrics with Herman Rarebell (former drummer of Scorpions) on some songs like the major hit "Rock You Like a Hurricane", among others. Meine composed some songs alone like "Wind of Change" and "A Moment in a Million Years".
In 1981, after a world tour and during the recording of the Blackout album, Meine lost his voice so badly he could not even speak properly. Meine was advised by his doctor to consider another profession because of his voice problems. However, Scorpions stuck together and after therapy and 2 vocal cord surgeries, Meine's voice recovered. Meine was ranked by Hit Parader as the twenty-second greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.
In 1990 Klaus performed in the "Live In Berlin" rendition of Roger Waters' "The Wall." Klaus was a highlight singer during the performance.
In 2010, Scorpions announced the band's intentions to retire after a final world tour.
On 12 March 2011, Meine received the Steiger Award (Germany).
| Born | May 25, 1948 Hannover, Germany |
|---|---|
| Genres | Heavy metal, hard rock |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, percussion |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | RCA, Mercury, Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | Scorpions, Avantasia |
