Wolfgang Niedecken

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Wolfgang Niedecken

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Img_capt = Wolfgang Niedecken 2006
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Background = solo_singer
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Born = birth date and age|1951| 3|30
Cologne, Germany
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Genre = Rock
Occupation = Musician
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Associated_acts = BAP
URL = http://www.bap.de BAP
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Wolfgang Niedecken (* 30 March 1951 in Cologne) is a German Singer, Musician and visual artist. He founded the Kölsch speaking rock group BAP at the end of the 70s. He soon became famous with BAP in the whole of Germany. He is the lead singer and only remaining founding member of BAP.

Life

Niedecken was going to a boarding school in Rheinbach from 1961 to 1970. From 1966 onwards he played in the school band "The Convikts" and "The Troop". He started studying painting at the Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences and Arts) Cologne. He graduated in 1974 after a short-term exchange in New York with Howard Kanovitz and Larry Rivers. He still is an active painter who not only designs most of the covers of the BAP albums, but also holds exhibitions.

Political Activism

Wolfgang Niedecken is an avid campaigner for political and social causes. He was one of the imitators of the 1992 event Arsch huh, Zäng ussenander (literally: Get your arse up and open your mouth), an open-air concert in Cologne against racism. In 2002 he campaigned for a continuation of the red-green (SPD and The Greens) coalition in the German parliament. He was also the ambassador of the aid organisation "Gemeinsam für Afrika" (literally: Together for Africa) from 2004 to 2005.

Co-Operations with other Artists

Wolfgang Niedecken played a live concert with the band Bläck Fööss in the Millowitsch-Theater in Cologne. This concert was released on the double CD "Bläck Fööss & Fründe" (literally: Bläck Fööss and friends). Niedecken and Leopardefell were also the backing musicians on Bruce Springsteen's hit Hungry Heart when it was re-released in 1995 and featured in the video which was shot in a bar in Berlin

Discography

Solo albums

*1987: "Schlagzeiten" (A word game on the German of Headlines with the lines part being replaced by the German for times)
*1995: "Leopardefell" (literally: Leopard fur)
*2004: "NiedeckenKöln" together with the Big Band of the WDR (a German TV station)

With BAP

see BAP

With other Artists

*Bläck Fööss: "Bläck Fööss & Fründe" (literally: Bläck Fööss and friends)

Awards

Wolfgang Niedecken received the "Frankfurter Musikpreis" (literally: Music award of Frankfurt) in 1996

External links

* [http://www.leopardefell.de Leopardefell] - Fan Page with more information about Wolfgang Niedecken
* [http://www.bap.de BAP's Homepage]
* [http://www.gemeinsam-fuer-afrika.de Gemeinsam für Afrika]

Persondata
NAME = Niedecken, Wolfgang
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = German Musician
DATE OF BIRTH = 30 March 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH = Cologne, Germany
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =