Who was/is Norbert Bischoff ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more
Norbert Bischoff
Norbert Bischoff, born in 1959 in Meyenburg, grew up in Leipzig, learned the profession of a specialist salesman for hardware and practised it for many years. As a child he had already sung in a radio choir, became a member of the Leipzig Song Group in the mid-1970s, then worked with the Weißensee Chanson Circle and took singing lessons. He was the first confessedly gay songwriter in the GDR, sang in churches and youth clubs, honest, provocative and rugged. His first program with his own songs, 'Apologize, the gay I am', was written in 1983, the song Paul one year later. In 1985 Bischoff received a prize at the Chansontagen in Frankfurt (Oder), became a freelance artist, attended a singer-songwriter course at the General Directorate of the Committee for Entertainment and in 1987 played the programme 'No Mai - lieber April, Mann und Frau sind gleich berechnet' with Maike Nowak. It was the first gay-lesbian program in the GDR.
Bischoff was co-signatory of the resolution of the rock musicians and songwriters of 18.9.1989, played the programme 'Morgen haun wir auf die Pauke' with fellow songwriters such as Reinhold Andert and Jens-Paul Wollenberg during these weeks and organised the concert 'Rock gegen Gewalt' with Marianne Birthler on 16.10.1989 in the Erlöserkirche in Berlin. He expressed the aims, hopes and illusions of the turning point in the song Die Zeit ist Reiif.
In 1990 Bischoff began working with the composer Peter Gotthardt.
(e.g. CD 'Fuck The Wall'), participated in the foundation of a gay cultural association and wanted to organize a Hildegard Knef festival. But the hangover followed the euphoria of the fall of the Berlin Wall and found no place in post-reunification Germany. His first LP was sold badly, organizers had no money. He lived on welfare, was disappointed and desperate. Uncompromisingly against himself and others, he took his own life on 9.11.1993. His farewell letter ended with the statement that November 9 was the right day for a German to disappear.
Extract from
Various - songwriter in Germany
Vol.3, For whom we sing (3-CD)
/various-songwriter-in-Germany-vol.3-for-who-who-we-sing-3-cd.html
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