Departures of note

Peter Petrel, born Peter Sauer in 1940, first gained notice as a jazz singer. In 1968 he released his debut single under the name Peter Sauer, before partnering with Jeannie McKinley in the duo Windows, which had a major hit in 1972 with "How Do You Do?".

From 1974 he performed with the Hamburger Rentnerband, scoring a hit with "Hamburger Deern", a German cover of The Scaffold's "Liverpool Lou". He later pursued a solo career with Schlager successes such as "Ich bin viel zu bescheiden" and "Ich fahr so gerne Rad".

Petrel remained devoted to jazz throughout, appearing on international stages and with his group the Swinging Petrels. In 1981 he received the Deutschen Schallplattenpreis for the Dixieland album "Happy Music Every Day", and in 2000 he was made an honorary citizen of New Orleans. In 2015 he suffered a stroke after receiving the Nord Award for lifetime achievement, but recovered and returned to the stage.

He died in 2026 at the age of 86 in Koblenz, where he had made his home, surrounded by his family.