Rainhard Fendrich: The Austropop icon turns 70

Rainhard Fendrich is the brains behind Austropop cult songs such as "Macho, Macho" and "Es lebe der Sport". The Viennese has never rested on his 80s success. To this day, the songwriter shares his musical thoughts with his fans, who will soon see him on stage again. He will be walking on his "holy ground" for his 70th birthday and a special anniversary.

Guaranteed hit with Viennese charm

Fendrich was born in Vienna in 1955. His parents, a mechanical engineer and a model, had little time for him, and his strict father's appreciation fell by the wayside. This was one of the reasons why Fendrich longed for recognition and admiration, which he later found on stage. A loner as a student, he graduated from high school after two rounds of honors at the age of 20, and then dropped out of law school. Instead, he tried to break away from his family as quickly as possible by earning his own money. After working as a chauffeur and postman, he filled in for an actor at the Theater an der Wien. His first appearance was in the musical "Chicago".

Fendrich's big breakthrough was not on the theater stage, but on the music stage: After his first studio album "Ich wollen nie einer von den sein" (1980), he released the single "Strada del Sole" in 1981 and landed a summer hit with his somewhat different homage to the Italian vacation he actually loved so much. While the songwriter with his biting humor and sharp observations had long been celebrated as a shooting star of the Austropop scene in his homeland with the following singles "Schickeria", "Oben ohne", "Weus'd a Herz hast wia a Bergwerk" and "Es lebe der Sport", the singer with his Viennese charm only achieved chart success in Germany with "Macho, Macho". The song, written in just a few minutes, was intended to be an ironic allusion to a magazine article that called for a development from softie to macho.

Fendrich, who also gained band experience with Austria 3 from 1997 to 2006 and the members Wolfgang Ambros (72) and Georg Danzer (1946-2007), also conquered the hearts of German TV viewers when he confidently hosted the ARD dating show "Herzblatt" from 1993 to 1997.

In 1989, he gave his country a true national anthem with "I Am from Austria", which, like many of his songs, is still popular today. Last year it was chosen as the European Championship fan song, which was a great honor for Fendrich, "that this song is sung so passionately by the fans and thus supports our national team," he said in an interview with spot on news in June 2024.

Between Highs and Strokes of Fate

The 1980s brought the long-awaited success and appreciation. Fendrich enjoyed being alongside greats like Falco in the Viennese art scene. In a recent interview with the "Bild" newspaper, he said of his heyday: "If you don't get any recognition your whole life and suddenly you're celebrated on stage, you're obviously on a high. There was a long time when everything I did was a success straight away." It was only over the years that the failures came, which made him more humble.

The father of three sons also had to grapple with a personal stroke of fate. And it still concerns him today. His daughter Theresa, to whom he dedicated songs such as "Die Rosen" and, more recently, "Und das Herzklopfen weiter", died in 1989 at the age of just 17 months. "You can't get over it, you just learn to deal with it," he said in early February on the ZDF talk show "Volle Kanne" . "These are amputations that you have to live with. When a loved one goes, you are left with phantom pain for life." The grief over his daughter was also one of the triggers for his now overcome cocaine addiction, which he left behind in 2006.

attitude and love of homeland

In addition to entertainment, there is also depth: Fendrich has never shied away from political messages in his career. He says his opinion, but does not want to give advice. "Politics is what regulates our lives, our future," he said in early February in the talk show "MDR at 4" . "The course is set by politics. Anyone who says they are not interested in politics is not interested in their future or the future of their children."

Fendrich speaks out about the refugee debate, Trump and Putin, even if he does cause controversy. "I'm not afraid of a shitstorm. I've had so many, you can survive it," he said in January in an interview with "oe24.TV" . And he was even clearer: "All I can say is, dear shitstormers, I really don't care. But I think it's a shame that it's even necessary. I actually feel sorry for the people who want to get rid of their hatred with this sniper mentality. But they can't get rid of it. It's getting more and more and they're getting sicker and sicker."

Even when it comes to the tense political situation in his homeland, he doesn't stay quiet. "I don't think there's a lot that's right in this country, but I love my homeland. And you can love your homeland without hating others." So many things get on his nerves in Vienna, but he loves this city and would never want to live anywhere else. "I really feel at home there, with all the grumbling. I feel really good in the 10th district," said the singer, who has become an early riser and likes to walk around his neighborhood with his dog. He clearly doesn't miss the dazzling times of the 80s: "Nowadays it's no longer an advantage for me to stand at the bar until four in the morning and philosophize about the world with random people," he told "Bild". "I'm not in extra time yet, but my time has become more valuable."

Not "Baba" yet?

In his private life, the singer now enjoys peace and quiet with "his wife". When asked about his partner, Fendrich was reserved in the MDR talk: No one will find out anything about the relationship between the two. "It's a secret, and it will stay that way." Musically, Fendrich is staying on the ball. His loyal fan base appreciates this and continues to help the musician achieve chart success to this day. The studio albums "Schwarzoderweiß" (2016) and "Starkregen" (2019) both landed at the top of the Austrian album charts in their first week and achieved platinum status. At the end of January 2025, Fendrich released his latest work "Wimpernschlag", which also landed on the chart throne. In Austria, a total of 14 of his studio albums reached number 1 in the official album charts.

Not only will Fendrich bring his current songs to the stage this year, he will also have his cult songs with him when he tours Germany, Austria and Switzerland with "45 Years of Rainhard Fendrich Live - Just a Blink of an Eye" from April 2025. "This is my life, the stage is holy ground, I'm really looking forward to the concerts," he said in the MDR talk show.

And what's next musically? He doesn't know how many albums he still has in him. "None at the moment, everything is out. Lyrics and musical ideas have to mature. If you arrange everything yourself, I need at least three years for an album." Fendrich will certainly continue to put his thoughts on the world on paper. If the final song does come along, the title idea is only obvious: "Baba". Until then, the most important thing for him is: "I am happy with myself. I have found my center, I enjoy the time to talk to people and be on stage," he said on "Volle Kanne". Having found his inner center, he is therefore also calm about turning 70. "My time is becoming more and more precious, but I'm not panicking," he emphasized in an interview with "Bild". "That's why nature is not cruel, only people are. Death is something completely natural, I'm just a little afraid of dying."

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