Anyone who wants to describe this man cannot avoid superlatives: Marius Müller-Westernhagen is one of Germany's most successful musicians. As such, he looks back on a remarkably long career - in 2016 he celebrated his 50th anniversary. In 2019, he released the reissue of his celebrated "Mit Pfefferminz bin ich dein Prinz" album under the title "Das Pfefferminz-Experiment (Woodstock Recordings Vol. 1)". Not only this record from 1978 achieved cult status, but also other gold and platinum albums such as "Halleluja", "Affentheater" and the double album "Live". Just as timeless are Westenhagen hits such as "Mit 18", "Freiheit", "Sexy", "Krieg" or "Es geht mir gut".
In the process, Marius Müller-Westernhagen initially followed in the footsteps of his father Hans and aspired to a professional career as an actor. Born in Düsseldorf in 1948, the young Marius can already be seen as a teenager in a TV film. Many other roles follow - his best-known is the title character in "Theo gegen den Rest der Welt". In 1987 Müller-Westernhagen gave up acting and devoted himself exclusively to music. His breakthrough album "Mit Pfefferminz bin ich dein Prinz" (With Peppermint I'm Your Prince) had been on the market for almost ten years by then; the debut album "Das erste Mal" (1975) and two other LPs had been released before that. The terrific success of "Mit Pfefferminz bin ich dein Prinz" is followed by albums such as "Sekt oder Selters", "Stinker" or "Das Herz eines Boxers", which all manage to hold their own in the charts.
"Halleluja" - what a success!
Westernhagen catapults to the top of the charts for the first time with his 12th studio album "Halleluja". The follow-up albums "Jaja" (1992), "Affentheater" (1994) and "Radio Maria" (1998) also reach the top of the charts. Marius Müller-Westernhagen has reached the top, is showered with gold and platinum and performs in sold-out football stadiums. Fans were already able to convince themselves of his outstanding live qualities on "Live" in 1990. After a longer break, the singer returned in 2002 with "In den Wahnsinn". With the strongly blues-heavy "Williamsburg" and the emphatically rocking "Alphatier", Westernhagen impressively shows that he is still bursting with creativity after several decades in the music business. Consequently, he will be honoured with an MTV Unplugged concert in 2016.
Westernhagen has proven time and again over the years that he is beyond reproach as a musician and songwriter. Initially with provocative lyrics (just think of "Dicke") and a rather uncouth demeanour, later in smart clothes and striking somewhat softer tones, the exceptional singer steadily developed into a stadium rocker and "alpha animal". Westernhagen, in the land of German-language rock music, you are not only prince, but king - even without peppermints.
