Rio Reiser: The king of Germany is 75 years old!

On January 8, 2025, Rio Reiser would have turned 75. The musician, who became known as the "King of Germany", began his career in Berlin and made a lasting impression in the German music scene. In 1968 Reiser moved to Berlin-Kreuzberg, which was little known at that time. The area around Heinrichplatz became his home. During this time, together with R. P. P. S. Lanrue, Kai Sichtermann and Wolfgang Seidel, he founded the band Ton Steine ​​Shallen, which changed German rock music sustainably.

With their well -known protest songs such as "Making you broken, which breaks you", "No power for nobody" and "Rauchhaus song" were the songs of the bands of a rebellious generation that lived in occupied houses. Ton Steine ​​Squip moved to Schleswig-Holstein in 1975 to distance himself from the political instrumentalization of her music. Ten years later, in 1985, the band dissolved. Afterwards Rio Reiser started a successful solo career that established him as the "King of Germany". His debut album "Rio I" and hits such as "Alles lie" and "Junimond" became evergreens of German pop music.

a legacy in music history

Rio Reiser was born in Berlin on January 9, 1950 and died in 1996 at the age of 46. It is still considered an icon and folk singer who connected poetry and politics in his music. Herbert Grönemeyer describes him as a pioneer of German music and emphasizes his importance for the genre. A film about Rio Reiser, produced by Lutz Pehnert, will be initiated on December 27, 2024 in the ARD media library. The film offers an insight into the life and work of this extraordinary artist and illuminates its imperishable heritage in music.

More information about Rio Reiser and his band can be found on the and the rbb-online.