Helmut Zacharias facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helmut Zacharias
Zacharias in 1965
Background information
Also known as	Charly Thomas
Born	(1920-01-27)27 January 1920 Berlin, Germany
Died	28 February 2002(2002-02-28) (aged 82) Brissago, Switzerland
Genres	Classical, swing, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Violin
Years active	1931–1990s
Labels	Lindström-Electrola, EMI

Helmut Zacharias (born January 27, 1920 – died February 28, 2002) was a famous German violinist and composer. He wrote over 400 musical pieces and sold 14 million records! He also acted in several movies, often playing a musician.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Helmut Zacharias was born in Berlin, Germany. His father, Karl, was a violinist and conductor, and his mother was a singer. Helmut started learning the violin from his father at just two and a half years old. By age six, he was already performing at the Faun club, a music hall in Berlin.

When he was eight, Zacharias became the youngest student in Gustav Havemann's special music class at the Berlin Academy of Music. At age 11, he played on the radio for the first time. He performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3. He began touring in 1934 when he was 14. During the 1930s, he was greatly inspired by the jazz music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.

A Career in Music

In 1940, a record company called Lindström-Electrola discovered Zacharias. This company was the German part of EMI. In 1941, he had his first big hit song, Schönes Wetter Heute. By the 1950s, many people thought he was one of the best jazz violinists in Europe. They even called him "The Magic Violinist" and "Germany's Mr. Violin."

In 1956, he had his biggest success in the United States. His song "When the White Lilacs Bloom Again" reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

On November 21, 1964, his song Tokyo Melody became very popular in the UK. It reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. This happened because the BBC used it as the theme music for their coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Zacharias moved to Switzerland in the late 1950s. He continued to play music with many famous artists, including Yehudi Menuhin. From 1968 to 1973, he had his own television show. In 1985, he received a special award called the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Later Years and Passing

In 1995, Helmut Zacharias was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He stopped performing in public in 1997. His condition was made public on World Alzheimer's Day in 2000. He passed away in 2002 in Brissago, Switzerland. He is buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany.

Family Life

Helmut Zacharias was married to Hella Konradat from 1943 until he died. They had two sons, Stephan and Thomas, and a daughter, Sylvia. Stephan, born in 1956, became a composer. He wrote music for the movie Downfall, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Thomas became an international athlete.

Musical Works (Discography)

• 12 Violin Sonatas, Op.2 (Vivaldi) (1953)
• Ich liebe deinen Mund (1955)
• Hallo, Scandinavia (Polydor Records, 1958)
• Holiday in Spain (Polydor Records, 1959)
• Two Million Strings with Werner Müller (Decca Records, 1959)
• Songs of Old Russia (Polydor Records, 1959)
• Candelight Serenade (Polydor Records, 1960)
• The Best of Everything (Polydor Records; Themes rel. by Decca in US, 1961)
• A Violin Sings (Polydor Records, 1962)
• On Lovers' Road (Polydor Records, 1963)
• Pop Goes Baroque (RCA Victor, 1966)
• De Gouden Plaat Van Helmut Zacharias (Polydor Records, 1967)
• Happy Strings Happy Hits (Hör Zu, 1967)
• James Last Meets Helmut Zacharias (Polydor Records, 1967)
• For Lovers with Love (Columbia Records, 1968)
• Happy Strings of Zacharias (Hör Zu, 1968)
• Light My Fire (Sounds Superb, and MFP, 1968)
• Mexico Melody (Polydor Records, 1968)
• Zacharias Plays The Hits (Capitol Records in US, Columbia Records in Europe, 1969)
• Zacharias Plays Verdi & Puccini (Hör Zu, 1970)
• Zacharias Plays Verdi & Bizet (Hör Zu, 1970)
• Greatest Hits (Columbia Records, 1973)
• Buenos Días (Polydor and EMI Records, 1974)
• The Man With The Violin (EMI Records, 1975)
• Swinging Hits (EMI Records, 1977)
• Les Belles Années (Polydor, 1978)

Movies Featuring Helmut Zacharias

Images for kids

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  Zacharias in 1965

See also

In Spanish: Helmut Zacharias para niños