Klaus Meine is a
GermanThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
singer, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional
rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist of the
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
ScorpionsScorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
. Besides guitarist
Rudolf SchenkerRudolf Schenker is a German guitarist and founding member of heavy metal band Scorpions, being the rhythm/lead guitarist and one of the main song-writers of the band...
, he is the only one of the members of the group to appear on every album, despite the fact that he did not join until 1970.
Biography
Meine is well-noted for his unique
tenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
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.and
Meine writes most of the
lyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
to Scorpions' songs. He also shares the authorship of some lyrics with
Herman RarebellHerman 'Ze German' Rarebell is a German drummer, best known for his time in the band Scorpions from 1977 to 1995, playing on 8 studio albums...
(former
drummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of Scorpions) on some songs like the major hit "
Rock You Like a Hurricane"Rock You Like a Hurricane" a song by the German heavy metal band Scorpions. The song was released as the second track of their 1984 album Love at First Sting.-Description:...
", among others. Meine
composedA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
some songs alone like "Wind of Change" and "A Moment in a Million Years".
In 1981, after a world tour and during the
recordingSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of the
Blackout- Personnel :* Klaus Meine – Lead vocals* Matthias Jabs – Lead guitar, Backing vocals* Rudolf Schenker – Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals* Francis Buchholz – Bass, Backing vocals* Herman Rarebell – Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals...
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Meine lost his
voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
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 ParaderHit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
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.
After 46 years together, Scorpions announced in January 2010 that they will retire after a final world tour.
In the year 2000 he was awarded the city of Hanover plaque.
External links