Falco (musician)

Falco (February 19, 1957 - February 6, 1998) was the stage name of the classical music prodigy turned Austrian rock star, Johann Hölzel (also Hans Hölzel).

Related Topics:
February 19 - 1957 - February 6 - 1998 - Austrian

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Born in Vienna, he studied at the Vienna Music Conservatory.

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Before becoming an international popstar, he was bass-player in the Austrian hard-rock band Drahdiwaberl. As a solo artist, Falco had taken an interest in the sounds and rhythms of rap music, and was one of the first Europeans to incorporate rap stylings into pop and rock music. He was best known internationally for the rap-styled "Rock Me Amadeus" (inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus) from his album Falco 3, which became a worldwide hit in 1986 and reached Number 1 on the US charts, arguably the first "rap" song to achieve this feat, notwithstanding Blondie's success with their 1981 hit "Rapture" and the fact that "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice from 1990 being cited as the first "true" rap record to top the Billboard Hot 100.)

Related Topics:
Drahdiwaberl - Rap music - Rock Me Amadeus - Oscar - Amadeus - Falco 3 - Blondie - 1981 - Vanilla Ice - 1990 - Billboard - Hot 100

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Other well-known international hits include "Der Kommissar" (a partial rap song about drug consumption) from the 1982 album Einzelhaft and "Vienna Calling" from Falco 3. An English cover version of "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire became a Top 5 hit in the United States. The song "Jeanny" became somewhat of a controversy when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands. Because it was told from the point of view of a rapist, several DJs and radio stations refused to play it.

Related Topics:
Cover version - After the Fire - United States - Germany - Netherlands

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Johann Hölzel died of severe head injuries received following his SUV's collision with a bus near the resort of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic at age 40. At the time of his death, he was considering a comeback into the music world.

Related Topics:
SUV - Puerto Plata - Dominican Republic

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