Roy Black died on October 9, 1991. To this day he is one of the biggest German pop stars of all time. But a mystery from his film career is still unsolved to this day.
Heldenstein – A musical legacy like that of Roy Black († 48) is not seen every day. With hits like “Ganz in Weiß”, the native Bavarian has secured his place on the Schlager Olympus and more than 30 years after his death on October 9, 1991, his songs bring comfort and invite you to sing along. During his lifetime, however, it wasn’t just the music that won Roy Black’s hearts – his impressive career took him from being a heartthrob behind the microphone to being an actor in front of the cameras.
Multi-talented in Music, TV and Film: The Career of Roy Black
During his brilliant career, which lasted almost three decades, Roy Black released more than twenty studio albums and his projects consistently placed at the top of the German charts. He is one of the most successful German hit stars of all time, can still keep up with today’s big names like Helene Fischer (38) and Florian Silbereisen (41) – and should still be a role model for many up-and-coming artists.
Gerhard Höllerich, Roy Black’s real name, has gone down in music history with his soulful pieces – in addition to his influence on the hit world, he also made a name for himself as an actor. For the first two seasons of “Ein Schloss am Wörthersee”, the passionate rock’n’roll musician stood in front of the camera as hotel owner Lennie Berger. Even if his time in RTL production did not last long – until the tragic death of the hit star in 1991, only about 20 episodes were produced – the role is still legendary today.
Pop star Roy Black: His death is still a mystery to this day
On October 9, 1991, Roy Black was found dead in his fishing hut by his brother Walter Höllerich – shortly after filming of the second season of “Ein Schloss am Wörthersee” had been completed. Across from schlager.de director Otto Rezzer remembers his last encounters with Black on the set of the RTL series: “The shooting was very strenuous, stressful and we were under enormous time pressure. Roy had to take strong medication because of his heart, but he was also careless and liked to drink something.” At the time, he had a prescription issued, which he is said to have never picked up from the pharmacy – according to Rezzer, the reason for his death. “I always say he died of a broken heart,” he explains.
(Source: schlager.de)
Forgotten cinema project: Roy Black’s first film never materialized
It’s his acting career that still puzzles Roy Black’s fans to this day, especially in the early years. Because how schlagerprofis.de reported, the former business administration student’s first film project should have been a hitherto unknown film entitled “Never leave me alone” instead of “Always Trouble with the Paukern” (1968). A 1968 issue of BRAVO is said to have described the film as a “tangled love story that begins in Monaco and ends in Munich”, with well-known co-stars such as the Italian pop singer Rita Pavone (77) – but it never made it to the cinemas.
As the BRAVO also states, the film, which was never released for unknown reasons, is said to have actually started shooting on July 15, 1968, but apparently this did not happen. Ilse Kubaschewski, the head of Gloria film distribution at the time, is said to have invested DM 1.5 million in Roy Black’s career – a financial obligation that was worth it in the end despite the canceled major project.
Almost 60 years after the failed venture, Roy Black’s fans can only theorize what “Never Leave Me Alone Again” would have been about – and whether the film would have helped the then 25-year-old to have an equally sensational career. In the modern hit world, however, things are hectic, because Florian Silbereisen is displayed by the “1000 and 1 nights” author. Sources used: schlagerprofis.de, schlager.de, ndr.de
