Born on 25 May: Klaus Meine (Scorpions), the voice of German Hard Rock

He was born in 1948 in Hanover (Germany) and, with his powerful voice, is in large part the embodiment of the band's originality.

A little out of character in their repertoire, the ballad "Wind of Change" not only became their greatest hit but also the unofficial anthem marking the end of the Cold War. Fortunately, the days of "Virgin Killer" (1976) are long gone; that album’s cover (depicting a prepubescent girl in the nude) caused a scandal even at the time—rightly so, to be fair…

Once able to hit impressive high notes, Klaus Meine has also always been an effective lyricist with lyrics rooted in real life. For instance, after returning from a concert in Moscow in 1989, the changes afoot in Russia provided the soil from which "Wind Of Change" would grow. That’s what you’d call intuition! “During that trip, I truly felt something powerful. There was an energy in the air… I felt a historic change was coming,” Klaus Meine later said in a BBC interview.

In 1990, just months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Scorpions played a historic concert in Berlin at the "The Wall – Live in Berlin" festival, organised between Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate by Roger Waters (ex-Pink Floyd). “Playing there, where generations had been divided by a concrete wall, was surreal. You could feel music truly bringing people together. There were tears, smiles... a new sense of freedom.” In a way, the Scorpions’ singer was, more than ever, in harmony with the audience, each experiencing one of the most moving moments of their lives in their own way. He even performed this truly iconic song with tenor José Carreras in 2014.

Throughout his career, Meine has overcome several challenges, including a serious vocal cord disorder as recently as 2024. He even considered giving up for good a career that has always been a true vocation for him. It took advanced surgery and a long, painful rehabilitation before he regained full use of his voice. Just a few days ago, the Scorpions’ three concerts in South America, meant to celebrate the band’s 60th anniversary, were cancelled, as Klaus Meine was suffering from a severe viral infection that left him unable to sing.

With the Scorpions, he has recorded over 20 albums, including the requisite acoustic ("Acoustica" in 2001) and symphonic ("Moments Of Glory" with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2001) versions—now an essential milestone in the career of any hard rock band worth its salt!

Even now, despite being close to 80 and, inevitably, with more fragile health, Meine continues to tour with the band. From North to South Europe, including France's Hell Fest and a Las Vegas residency this August, the singer's summer looks especially busy. “As long as there are fans singing with us, as long as my voice is there, I’ll keep going,” he said at a Paris concert in 2022.

Some upcoming concerts:

21 June: Hell Fest – Clisson (France)

24 June: Accor Arena – Paris (France)

15 to 24 August: Planet Hollywood – Las Vegas (USA)

(MH with Stéphane Soupart – Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Klaus Meine with the Scorpions on stage at Forest National in Brussels (Belgium) on 30 April 1982