Bill Ramsey (singer)


William McCreery Ramsey was an American-German jazz and pop singer, journalist and actor famous for his German-language hits. He returned to Germany a year after he had served compulsory military service with the U.S. Air Force there. Active as a singer of jazz and pop already as a soldier, he made a career in different fields of musical entertainment. He sang and recorded German schlager, also German-language cover versions of English hits, jazz and swing. He appeared in films and television series, and ran popular series on radio and television as presenter.
WWW ramsey.de

Biography

William McCreery Ramsey, called Bill, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of a teacher and an advertising manager for Procter & Gamble. In his youth, he sang in a college dance band. He began to study sociology and business from 1949 to 1951 at Yale University in New Haven and sang jazz, swing and blues in the evenings. His greatest influences were Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and Louis Jordan. Due to the Korean War, compulsory military service was again introduced in the US and Ramsey served with the U.S. Air Force in Germany. During this time period, he appeared in clubs like the in Frankfurt. He was discovered by an employee of the American Forces Network, and hired to entertain troops. There Ramsey advanced to executive producer and though still in service, spent more time on appearances at festivals. As of 1953, he appeared with, among others, band leaders Ernst Mosch, Paul Kuhn, Kurt Edelhagen and James Last. The jazz pianist and music producer organized an appearance with Hessischer Rundfunk for Ramsey in 1955. There he did playback recordings for the musical film with Peter Alexander and Caterina Valente. Upon his discharge from the military in 1957, he continued his studies in the U.S. and returned to Frankfurt a year later.
Gietz took Ramsey under contract in 1958 and in the same year his first single with Polydor was released. It was a small but respectable success and launched the style, with which ”the man with the black voice” would land hits in the future. The music was oriented on the Anglo American pop music hits of that period. Among Ramsey's hits published in the 1950s and 1960s were German-language cover versions of Hank Ballard, The Beatles, Fats Domino, Ivory Joe Hunter, Roger Miller, Elvis Presley, Jimmie Rodgers, Andy Williams, Sheb Wooley and others. In addition, he performed numerous originals, which were composed almost exclusively by Gietz. The ironic lyrics of Kurt Feltz and often commented on current events.
Ramsey and Gietz signed with Columbia label EMI Group in 1962, where they would continue their success. As beat music changed the market in the 1960s, Ramsey was a regular on the German charts. In the second half of the 1960s Ramsey took up predominantly English-language songs and dedicated himself again to jazz and blues. In this musically varied decade he presented operettas, musical and beat songs, as well as an LP with children's songs. Ramsey switched labels to Gietz's record company Cornet in 1966, and later in the same year to Polydor. He appeared on different labels in the 1970s.
Ramsey appeared regularly as a pop and jazz singer, mostly in duets with the guitarist Juraj Galan, with whom he released several albums. The duo's LP Live in the House of Commons won the German record critics prize. From the late 1980s, Ramsey presented Swingtime each Friday on Hessischer Rundfunk until 2019. In 2008 and 2009 he went on tour with Max Greger and Hugo Strasser as Swing legends.
He was a lecturer for many years at Hamburg University for Music and Performing Arts. He had a lead speaking role in the audio play for children Der kleine Tag in 1999.

Television

His popularity led to numerous appearances in film and television, where he appeared as a singer and in comedy roles. Ramsey had numerous television appearances, acted in 28 films and toured through Europe, the US, and North Africa. He presented the television shows Hits for Schlappohren and , among others.

Personal

Ramsey lived for 20 years in Zürich, later in Wiesbaden, and from 1991 onward with his fourth wife Petra in Hamburg. He became a German citizen on 17 October 1984. His wife, a physician, also worked as his manager.
Ramsey died at his home in Hamburg at the age of 90 on 2 July 2021.

Discography (selection)

Ramsey released 50 singles as well as 30 LPs and CDs, including:

Singles

YearTitleChartposition Label/Catalogue no.
1958Yes, Fanny, ich tu dasPolydor NH 23 738
1958Wumba-Tumba Schokoladeneisverkäufer4Polydor NH 23 883
1959Er war vom konstantinopelitanischen Gesangsverein
Polydor NH 24 002
19591Polydor NH 24 037
1959CaldoniaColumbia C 21 261
1959Hier könn' Matrosen vor Anker geh'nPolydor NH 24 090
1960Go Man Go Polydor NH 66 812
1960Telefon aus Paris39Polydor NH 24 211
1960Jeden Tag 'ne andre PartyPolydor NH 24 330
19616Polydor NH 24 428
1961Telefon fra Paris Polydor NH 22 974
1961Immer zieht es mich zu ihr 10Polydor NH 24 437
19615Polydor NH 24 553
1961Das Leben ist doll45Polydor NH 24 616
1962Nichts gegen die Weiber 25Polydor NH 24 663
1962Old Jonny war ein Wunderkind47Polydor NH 24 774
1962Brauner Señor Mexicano Polydor NH 24 915
19623Columbia C 22 197
1962Mimi Needs A Thriller When She Goes To BedColumbia F 4948
1963Maskenball bei Scotland Yard8Columbia C 22 333
1963Sagst du alles deiner Frau? Columbia C 22 397
1963Parlez-vous Francais?51Columbia C 22 456
1963MollyColumbia C 22 512
1963Es gibt doch immer wieder Ärger Electrola E 22 515
1964Bossa Nova BabyColumbia C 22 635
1964Ein bequemer Arbeitnehmer bin ich nichtColumbia C 22 689
1964Ein Student aus Heidelberg21Columbia C 22 701
1964Zicke Zacke HoiColumbia C 22 842
1965Chug-a-lugColumbia C 22 884
1965Bin nur ein TrampColumbia C 22 888
1965Crazy Cowboy Grand HotelColumbia C 23 012
1966Fat Man Cornet 3012
1966Hollywood-SchaukelliedPolydor 52 699
1966Yellow SubmarinePolydor 52 725
1967Limonade wär' besser gewesenPolydor 52 770
1967Body Building Bill aus BostonPolydor 52 874
1968Otto ist auf Frauen scharfPolydor 53 043
1968Piccadilly CircusPolydor 53 066
c. 1968Blue-Eyed Lady Heco S 45 007
1969Gesellschaftsspiele Polydor 53 130
1969Sing ein kleines Lied vom Frieden Polydor 53 155
1970Haschisch Halef OmarCornet 3165
1993Probier's mal mit Gemütlichkeit ZYX Music 706012

EPs

  • Go Man Go / Hier könn' Matrosen vor Anker geh'n / Souvenirs / Mach keinen Heck-Meck
  • Pigalle / Missouri Cowboy / Bist du einsam heut' Nacht / Immer zieht es mich zu ihr
  • Paul Abraham's Viktoria und ihr Husar
  • My Fair Lady / Kiss Me, Kate

LPs

William "Big Bill" Ramsey, Jazz Festival Sopot 1957 Die Blume von Hawaii / Viktoria und ihr Husar Evergreens aus dem Schlagerkeller Die Blume von Hawaii / Viktoria und ihr Husar Bill Ramsey's Schlagerparty Sing ein Lied mit Onkel Bill / Kinderparty bei Bill Ramsey Bill Ramsey singt Lieder seiner Heimat Ballads & Blues Got A New Direction Sei mein Freund Songs, charity for Hard Travelling Die andere Seite – Dedicated to Nat King Cole On the Spot
  • ''Rückfall''

CDs

Caldonia and more..., including recordings from 1957, 1966 and 1980Souvenirs, including recordings from 1958 to 1961Ohne Krimi geht die Mimi nie ins Bett, including recordings from 1962 to 1965Ballads And Blues / Songs From Home, including recordings from 1965The Other Side – A Dedication to Nat King Cole, including recordings from 1975 to 1977On the Spot, including recordings from 1977When I See You, including recordings from 1979 to 1980Underneath the Apple Tree, including recordings from 1983 to 1984Rückfall Getting' Back To Swing Hamburg, keine ist wie du Ballads, Streets & Blues Big Band Boogie Send In The Clowns
  • ''Here's To Life – Here's To Joe''

Films

Ramsey appeared in 28 feature films, including:

Awards