Dieter Thomas Heck (born Carl-Dieter Heckscher; 29 December 1937 – 23 August 2018) was a German television presenter, singer and actor. He is known as the presenter of the popular TV program ''

ZDF-Hitparade The ''ZDF-Hitparade'', or ''Hitparade'' for short, by German TV channel ZDF, was one of the most popular and most well-known music television series presenting mostly German Schlager. From 1969 to 1984 the presenter was Dieter Thomas Heck. The ...

'', featuring German

Schlager music Schlager music (, " hit(s)") is a style of European popular music that is generally a catchy instrumental accompaniment to vocal pieces of pop music with simple, happy-go-lucky, and often sentimental lyrics. Typical Schlager tracks are eith ...

, from 1969 to 1984, reaching millions of people. As an actor, he starred in the TV play '' Das Millionenspiel'' in 1970.

Early life

Heck was born in Flensburg, Germany and grew up in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. In April 1943, when he was five years old, he developed a stutter after being trapped under a staircase after a nighttime British

bombing raid Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systemati ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The stutter went away after he received training in classical singing at age 16. After completing "Mittelschule" (middle school) and a technical "Oberschule" (high school) he was trained as a "Technischer Kaufmann" (technical salesman) by Borgward in Hamburg and worked afterwards as a salesman. He left the company after four years.

Radio and television career

In 1959, Heck appeared on Peter Frankenfelds talent show '' Toi – Toi – Toi'', singing ''Hippe-di-hipp, mein Mädchen''. In 1961, he participated in the preliminary round of the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson (now Eurovision Song Contest). After employment as a car salesman, Heck worked for a record company. He visited the radio station Südwestfunk (SWF) in Baden-Baden on 23 November 1963 and was asked to be interviewed because a scheduled guest did not show up. The moderator asked clumsy questions so Heck took over conducting the interview himself. As a result, Herbert Falk offered him the job of hosting a 90-minute "Sendung" (broadcast) every Saturday. Heck then worked for

Radio Luxemburg RTL Radio is a German commercial radio station based in Berlin and the part of the RTL Group. It originated as the German language service of Radio Luxembourg, which began broadcasting after World War II from Luxembourg. It broadcasts adult c ...

from 1965 to September 1966. It was customary there to use only a first name, and as "Dieter" was already taken, Heck asked readers of the youth magazine '' Bravo'' for an alternative name. The readers chose "Thomas", and he has used it since. He collaborated with Frank Elstner and they became friends. He then worked for SR 1 Europawelle of the

Saarländischer Rundfunk Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR; ''Saarland Broadcasting'') is a public radio and television broadcaster serving the German state of Saarland. With headquarters in the Halberg Broadcasting House in Saarbrücken, SR is a member of the ARD consor ...

. He concentrated on German

, a topic not favored by other moderators. His series ''Die Deutsche Schlagerparade'' was so successful that it was partly recorded. In 1967, he was a co-founder of the award

Goldene Europa Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies. Since 1981, the gala was broadcast on television. The original sculpt ...

for German singers, which was first awarded in 1968. Heck's breakthrough came with ''

'', a TV series for the

ZDF ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is run as an independent nonprofit institution, which was founded by all fe ...

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

, based on the model of the Schlagerparade and staged by Truck Branss. It was considered an influential music feature of the 1970s and 1980s. He presented it 183 times between 1969 and 1984. He showcased international performers, but they had to sing in German, including the Libanese Ricky Shayne, the Greek

Costa Cordalis Costa Cordalis ( el, Κώστας Κορδαλής; born Konstantinos Cordalis; 1 May 19442 July 2019) was a Greek-German Schlager singer. Biography Born Konstantinos Cordalis in Elateia, Phthiotis, Cordalis moved to Germany in 1960. His 197 ...

, ,

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

Mouth & McNeal Mouth and MacNeal was a Dutch pop duo that enjoyed some commercial success in the 1970s. They are best known for their million selling recording of " How Do You Do" in 1972, which topped the Dutch chart and became a US top ten hit, also reaching ...

Karel Gott ) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine Charlie Michael Holm Michael Holm (born Lothar Walter; on 29 July 1943) is a German singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is primarily known as a singer of Schlager music. Although his first appearance in the hit parade was in 1962 ("Lauter Schön ...

and

Marianne Rosenberg Marianne Rosenberg (born 10 March 1955) is a German Schlager music singer and songwriter. Personal background Rosenberg is of Roma and Sinti background. Her father, Otto, an Auschwitz death camp survivor, was an activist on Roma and Sinti ...

. Heck initiated the award ''

Goldene Stimmgabel The Goldene Stimmgabel (English: Golden Tuning Fork) was an annual prize awarded within the German music scene from 1981 to 2007. The prizes were awarded according to the number of records sold from October of the previous year to June of the year ...

''. From 1982 to 1989, he was also moderator for the Südwestfunk in the series ''Gute Laune aus Südwest'' and ''Vom Telefon zum Mikrofon''. For the ZDF, he moderated ''4 gegen 4'' (1973), ''

Die Pyramide Die Pyramide (''The Pyramid'') is a high-rise building built in 1994/95 and located in the Berlin region of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, district of Marzahn, at the Rhinstraße / Landsberger Allee intersection. The office building and adjacent outbuildin ...

'' (1978), ''Schwarz auf Weiß'', ''Ihr Einsatz bitte – Made in Germany'', ''Das ist ihr Leben'' (1994), ''Das große Los'', ''Showpalast'', ''Das Sommer-Hitfestival'', ''Das Silvester-Hitfestival'' and finally ''Melodien für Millionen'' (Melodies for Millions), a gala for the benefit of the

German Cancer Aid The German Cancer Aid (german: links=yes, Deutsche Krebshilfe) is a not-for-profit organization to fight cancer in all its forms. The institution was founded on September 25, 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel (1932–1985). She was the wife of Walter ...

. He retired from the ZDF in 2007. He said then "It was my life to entertain people. That I succeeded makes me happy."("Mein Leben war es, Menschen zu unterhalten. Dass mir dies gelungen ist, macht mich glücklich"). Heck published his biography in 2011. As an actor, in 1970 he starred in the role of the presenter in the TV play '' Das Millionenspiel''. He played supporting roles in TV crime series, such as ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed b ...

'' in 1981, '' Rosenheim-Cops'', ''

Praxis Bülowbogen ''Praxis Bülowbogen'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * '' Alarm für Co ...

'', and '' Stuttgart Homicide'' in 2009.

Personal life

Dieter Thomas Heck im Gespräch mit Marie Sagenschneider

Heck married in 1962 and again in 1976. He had two sons and one daughter. He died on 23 August 2018 in Berlin.

Filmography

Heck played in several films, including: * 1961: ''Schlagerparade 1961'', film * 1970: '' Das Millionenspiel'' * 1971: ''Glückspilze'' * 1971: ''Hurra bei uns geht´s rund'' * 1972: ''Sternschnuppe'' * 1973: ''Klimbim'', TV series * 1978: ''Café Wernicke'', TV series * 1981:

– ''Beweisaufnahme'' * 1983: ''Pankow '95'' * 1987: ''

'', TV series * 1991: ' * 1992: Tatort – ''Stoevers Fall'' * 1993: '' Salto Postale'', sitcom * 1994: ''Heimatgeschichten'' TV series * 1998: ''

In aller Freundschaft (''In all friendship'') is a German television soap opera that began airing in 1998 every Tuesday. The series follows the staff of the fictional Sachsenklinik hospital in the city of Leipzig. The series is produced by Degeto (a subsidiary of ...

'' TV series * 1998: ''Und vor mir die Sterne'' * 2008: ''

Die Rosenheim-Cops ''Die Rosenheim-Cops'' is a German television series set in Chiemgau, mainly in Rosenheim. It is produced by the Bavaria Film GmbH for the ZDF public TV network. The cost per episode is estimated at 425,000 euros. Concept The series' mai ...

'' * 2009: '' Stuttgart Homicide'' * 2010: ''C.I.S. – Chaoten im Sondereinsatz''

Radio and television shows

* 1966: Die deutsche Schlagerparade * 1969–1984:

* 1978–1994:

* 1981–2007:

* 1988–2000: * 1985–2007: * 1991–1998: Musik liegt in der Luft * 1996–2000: Das große Los * 1994, 1997–1999: Die deutschen Schlagerfestspiele

Awards

* 1971:

Goldene Kamera The Goldene Kamera ("Golden Camera") is an annual German film and television award, awarded by the Funke Mediengruppe. The award show is usually held in early February in Hamburg, but has also taken place in Berlin in the past. The gold-plat ...

in the category ''Beste Sendung für junge Leute'' (best feature for young people) for ''

'' * 1984:

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

* 1999: Saarländischer Verdienstorden, the Order of Merit of the State of

Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...

* 2000: Verdienstmedaille of Baden-Württemberg, the Order of Merit of the State of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

* 2001: The Goldene Feder, a special prize for charity work * 2003: Verdienstorden des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, the Order of Merit of the State of

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

* 2008:

Echo Music Prize Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and it was set up to hono ...

for exceptional merits for music in German * 2009:

Dieter Thomas Heck mit Bundesverdienstkreuz geehrt
(in German) Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 30 June 2009 * 2012:

Deutscher Musikpreis Deutscher Musikpreis is a German music prize, awarded since 1979 by the . The prize is currently 12,500 euros. Winners * 1982 RIAS Jugendorchester * 1985 Peter Maffay * 1989 Richard Jakoby * 1993 Die Prinzen * 1997 * 2000 Rolf Zuckowski * 20 ...

* 2017: Goldene Kamera lifetime achievement award

References

Literature

* Peter Lanz: ''Dieter Thomas Heck – Die Biographie'', Edel Books. Hamburg 2011. .

External links

* * Katja Schwemmers
Dieter Thomas Heck: Manche werden schon einen Joint geraucht haben
''

Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...

'' 24 October 2011
Dieter Thomas Heck: Sein Schlager-Königreich
''

Berliner Kurier The ''Berliner Kurier'' is a regional, daily tabloid published by the ''Berliner Verlag GmbH'' for the Berlin metropolitan area in Germany. The paper was owned by M. DuMont Schauberg. and got sold in September 2019 to Holger Friedrichs. In Janu ...

'' 18 October 2011 * Frank Patalong
Stigma Stottern / Wenn eine Wand im Mund steht
'' Der Spiegel'' 22 October 2011
Die berühmtesten Stotterer der Welt
''Rhein-Sieg-Anzeiger''

(photos)

Die Welt ''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE. ''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter All ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heck, Dieter Thomas 1937 births 2018 deaths German television presenters German radio presenters German male television actors German male singers German game show hosts People from Flensburg Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Echo (music award) winners ZDF people Saarländischer Rundfunk people Recipients of the Saarland Order of Merit