As of 6:32 p.m
The Austrian singer Willi Resetarits, known for his dialect blues and rock, is dead.
Source: Herbert Pfarrhofer/APA/dpa
Resetarits began his career as part of a political rock group and even performed with them at the ESC. He then made his breakthrough with songs in Viennese dialect. Now the sawyer is dead.
Dhe Austrian singer Willi Resetarits, known for his dialect blues and rock, has died at the age of 73.
The musician, also known as “Ostbahn-Kurti”, had an accident on Sunday, as the spokeswoman for the Integrationshaus refugee project he initiated confirmed to the German Press Agency. The “Kronen Zeitung” had previously reported on the death.
Resetarits began their career in 1969 as part of the political rock group butterfliesdie Austria 1977 beim Eurovision Song Contest in London represented. In the 1980s he experienced his breakthrough when he developed the stage character Ostbahn-Kurti and sang well-known titles in Viennese dialect. Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” became “Feia” and he covered the rhythm and blues classic “I Hear You Knocking” as “I hea di klopfen”. Resetarits also turned to the traditional Viennese song, giving it a heavy dose of blues. In 2019, the musician received the honorary award of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate as part of the German cabaret awards.
Resetarits was one of the most prominent Austrian activists working for refugees and human rights. He was a co-founder of the Vienna Integrationshaus, in which around 250 vulnerable people live. On Saturday, Resetarits performed at the traditional refugee ball in the Vienna City Hall.
Resetarits came from a Croatian-speaking family. One of his brothers is the actor and cabaret artist Lukas Resetarits, who became known as a detective in the series “Kottan determined”.