A conversation with the legendary musician Peter Kraus about Elvis comparisons, his teenage image, the upcoming tour and why “Sugar Baby” is always part of it
Peter Kraus laughs while the PR team rearranges the armchairs in a hotel room with a view of the Frankfurt skyline for the photo. “I never broke anything. I’m one of the good rock stars,” he says. From the very first second, the 83-year-old singer is as cheerful and gentlemanly as in his most well-known hit film from the 1950s, Wenn die Conny mit dem Peter.
The former teen icon is still happy when you tell him you loved watching his films as a kid. “Did you watch that with your grandma?” he asks. “No, with a friend. We were just a bit disappointed when we found out that you weren’t even 20 anymore and that you were much too old for us.” Peter Kraus laughs his head off.
In the 50s he regularly found women in his wardrobe, but groupies were never his thing. He has been married to his wife Ingrid, who is also in Frankfurt, for 53 years. His gait is still fairly relaxed, almost like it was when he was 17. To keep it that way, he now practices in front of the mirror. His album “Idole” was released in June. A swing album in German, with it – and of course with its big hits – he goes on tour through Germany and Austria in 2023.
Mr. Kraus, the most common question you are asked…
… how do you stay so fit?
Exactly. I don’t want to ask that. I know you exercise a lot and avoid sugar as much as possible. I’m more interested in: Is there a question that you have never been asked that you would like to be asked?
Difficult. But I actually sat down and started writing down questions for myself and then answering them myself. But unfortunately this piece of paper has disappeared … My role models when answering interview questions are politicians, who can do it with a certain cheek. But they also answer things that have nothing to do with the question, I don’t do that. (laughs)
At first the press liked to call you the German Elvis. You just had your very first appearance at the Elvis Festival in Bad Nauheim: 45 years after the King of Rock’n Roll died. How was it?
It was a very special atmosphere and a great atmosphere. That’s not something that can be taken for granted, because when I started, in my rock ‘n’ roll days, the Elvis fans weren’t necessarily Peter Kraus fans. You could be the German Elvis a hundred times. At that time I tried to get something that came from America across in German. That was pleasant for many, for others it was absolute horror. I myself have always tried never to force this nickname “German Elvis”, which the press had given me alongside Howlboje and Hiccup-Heini. There was a great moment at the Elvis Festival in Bad Nauheim: The mayor had just thanked all Elvis fans when a man stood up and said, “Mr. Mayor, I have to correct you. This is where Elvis and Peter Kraus fans sit”. I found that very cute. I also sang a duet with Elvis at the end of my concert.
A duet with Elvis?
This was specially produced for the performance, his vocal part was edited in. It was one of his not so well-known songs: “I need somebody to lean on.”
How did it come about that you recorded the swing album “Idole”? A tribute to icons like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole. So the music before the Elvis era…
The idea came about during the Corona period. I sang a lot of swing at home. Eventually it became an album. My idol today is the Canadian jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall, she does this easy swinging. At the same time I remembered the music of my first idols like Sammy Davis Jr. from my youth. It was beautiful, peaceful and romantic music, not so Remmidemmi. The music these days is mostly too loud for me. My father introduced me to the music of all the idols in general. But he himself was also an operetta fan. That’s why we have “No one loves you like me” from Franz Lehár’s operetta “Paganini” on the album as a swing version. Götz Alsmann sat at the piano for this. It’s a tribute to my father, my first idol.
To person
Peter Kraus was born as Peter Siegfried Krausnecker on March 18, 1939 in Munich. The son of an Austrian and a German mother grew up in Munich, Vienna, Salzburg and Graefelfing. His father owned a small theater in Salzburg. He made his debut as a film actor at the age of 14 in Erich Kästner’s “The Flying Classroom”.
In 1956 he was discovered after his first public concert. In the same year, the first single, a German version of Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti”, was created. In the first four years after his debut he sold more than 12 million records. With the film “WENN die Conny mit dem Peter” in 1958, Peter Kraus and Conny Froboess became the dream couple of German film. The musician has recorded numerous albums. On his latest – “Idole” – he interprets swing songs like Sammy Davis Jr. or Nat King Cole, supported by Helge Schneider, among others.
The tour “Meine Hits – Meine Idole” is planned for 2023 , including concerts in Munich (February 6); Berlin (February 17) and Frankfurt (April 21). Dates and tickets at: www.peterkraus.de and www.semmel.de rose
They also sing “Mr. Bojangles, made famous by Sammy Davis Jr. How did he influence you as an idol?
I loved Sammy Davis Jr. and I admired that at that time a black man who wasn’t particularly attractive and had a glass eye could have had such a career. I started tapping when I was 13 because of him.
You paid a lot of money to see him live a few years later, didn’t you?
Yes, 1000 marks. That was in Monaco at a benefit gala at the Sporting Club. I was 17 or 18 at the time and paid for it with the first money I had made from films and music. I even had to buy a white dinner jacket for it. That was the dress code. I was really looking forward to Sammy Davis Jr.’s performance. After that, my manager and I went to a bar next door, such a dark thing, I can still remember it clearly. Then suddenly a group came in and Sammy Davis Jr. actually sat down next to me.
And what happened after that?
I was nervously trying to figure out how to approach him. Suddenly he spoke to me and said: “Hey man, do you speak English?”. And I said: “Of course, I do”. Then he replied: “That’s great, man. But I really can’t talk. I’m completely stoned”. And then he fell with his head on the table and fell asleep. I must have sat next to him for half an hour. His musicians drank and eventually took him away. He was so exhausted. (laughs)
Despite the farewell tour in 2016, you will be going on another big tour next year. You just don’t want to stop, do you?
This time I slipped in so much, there really should never be a tour. But of course it’s more fun and joy to make a new record and then to present and experience the music together with my musicians, the singer and of course the audience live on tour. Music up close is something special. My wife accepted it too.
Does she come with you on tour?
Probably yes, I’ll persuade her. The tour life is not easy and exhausting. It’s just really nice to be on stage.
Will you also sing “Sugar Baby” for the 100th time?
For the 100th time? For the 100,000th time (laughs). There are two types of songs, one you sing with heart and soul, one you want to sing with pleasure. And now when you bring up “Sugar Baby,” all I can say is that when I start singing the title and then look into people’s eyes, I think: how is it that after 65 years, people tell you with the same enthusiasm still meet? That’s wonderful. That alone is reason enough for me to say, “I have to sing that”. Sugar Baby is my business card. On stage I sometimes do versions like “You’re my sugar, sugar daddy”. I also like to play with my teenage image and the right swing of my hips or hard rocker image. A bit of parody is definitely part of it.
You said you don’t watch your old movies anymore. Except for her six-year-old granddaughter. How do you like the films?
Fun. She’s definitely been singing “Sugar Baby,” too. (laughs)
Interview: Kathrin Rosendorff
