Hardly anyone knows him by his real name Johann - or Hans - Hölzel , but when you say Falco, then most ears prick up in recognition. Born 19 February 1957 in Vienna, Austria, and died - far too early - just before his 41st birthday in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Unbelievable but true: he is the first and only artist to date whose principal language was German to score a number-one hit in the United States - with 'Rock Me Amadeus', even Nena's 99 Red Balloons did not achieve that. He has sold 40 million albums and 20 million singles, which makes him one of the best selling Austrian singers ever.
Falco began to show signs of unusual musical talent very early. As a toddler, he was able to keep time with the drumbeat in songs he heard on the radio. He was given a baby grand piano for his fourth birthday; a year later, his birthday gift was a record player which he used to play music by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, and the Beatles. At age five, he auditioned for the Vienna Music Academy, where it was confirmed that he had perfect pitch.
He entered the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977, but left after one semester to 'become a real musician'. For a short time, he lived in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band and exploring the club scene. When he returned to Vienna he decided on his stage name Falco in tribute to the East German ski jumper
Falko Weißpflog (he changed one letter to make the name more international).
Falco's first hit was 'Der Kommissar' from the 1982 album Einzelhaft (Soliary Confinement). A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the US. But the song would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions: British rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called 'Der Kommissar' (with uh-oh and alles klar Herr Kommissar the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to US#5 (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top40.
That same year,
Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics under the title 'Deep In The Dark' on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer (Young Romans) failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success outside of Austria and Germany (where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career: Falco recorded 'Rock Me Amadeus' inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986.
'Jeanny', the third release from his third album Falco 3, was highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of Jeanny was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., though it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
The following years were somewhat his decline: he went on a World Tour, sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen, 'Body Next to Body' and released another album, Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood) but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
His 1992 comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug (Night Flight) was very successful in the German speaking territories, but failed to chart internationally.
Falco died of severe injuries from a collision with a bus on the road linking the towns of Villa Montellano and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, which was later dismissed. At the time of his death, he was planning a comeback.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
Falco - Der Kommisar (1981)
AT1, DE#1, ES#1, FIN#1, FR#1, IT#1, JAP#1, CH#2, NOR#3, SWE#4, NZ#4, AUS#7, CAN#11, NL#18, US#72
Falco - Junge Römer (1984)
ES#2, AT#8, CH#24
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (1985)
AT#1, DE#1, UK#1, ES#1, SWE#1, FIN#1, RUS#1, US#1, CAN#1, JAP#1, NZ#1, RSA#1, CH#2, IT#2, NL#2, FR#3, DK#4, NOR#6, AUS#15
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (American Version) (1985)
Falco - Vienna Calling (1985)
AT#1, SWE#3, DE#4, FIN#5, ES#5, CH#7, UK#10, DK#10, CAN#13, JAP#14, US#18, NL#40, AUS#75
Falco - Jeanny (1985)
AT#1, DE#1, CH#1, NL#1, NOR#1, SWE#1, JAP#5, IT#14, FR#24, UK#68
Falco The Sound of Musik (1986)
AT#4, DE#4, ES#4, JAP#6, CH#11, NZ#11, DK#13, US#13, IT#42, UK#61, NL#67,
Falco - Coming Home (Jeanny Part II) (1986)
DE#1, SWE#1, CH#3, AT#4, NOR#4
Falco & Brigitte Nielsen - Body Next To Body (1987)
JAP#1, AT#6, DK#9, DE#22, IT#35, ES#37, AUS#44
Falco - Wiener Blut (1988)
AT#4, DE#9, DK#13, CH#24
Falco - Mutter, der Mann mit dem Koks ist da (1995)
AT#3, DK#3, D#11, CH#30
Falco - Out Of Dark (1998)
AT#2, DE#2, CH#3
Falco - Egoist (1998)
DE#4, AT#6, CH#19
