Freddy Quinn reports in autobiography: What was the case with Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich?

In the course of his career, hit star Freddy Quinn (93) met numerous stars. In his autobiography “How it really was” (from May 22, Hannibal Verlag), he looks back on many of these encounters – including a special appearance with Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), which was unforgettable.

“Once, only once, I had the honor of performing at a concert with Marlene Dietrich. That was already represented in the 1960s in Scheveningen, even the Dutch royal family, a big gala,” recalls the “boy, coming back”. “Marlene Dietrich was much older than me and was not easy back then.” If he remember correctly, she has reserved half of the rehearsal time alone, even though dozens of artists should appear. “Of course she didn’t just have friends with that.” Everyone was “a bit annoyed by the extra sausages” that Marlene Dietrich received. Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan then gave the song “I Can’t Give You Anything Bute” unplanned on stage. “Zack! Exactly the song that Marlene Dietrich wanted to sing as the final. What we laughed. But not too loud. It was Marlene Dietrich after all.”

Nevertheless, he dared to address the great film star and politely ask for an autograph. “She was friendly, we talked briefly, and she was scribbling something on her autograph card. Only later did I see that she was noting a number there.” He had “no shimmer” whether it was her real phone number. “In any case, I agreed that the great Marlene Dietrich might have been a little interested in me.”

In his autobiography “How it really was”, which was created in collaboration with journalist Daniel Böcking, Freddy Quinn looks back on his life and moves some descriptions from the biography published in 1960 that his producer had written. He emphasizes that contrary to earlier representations, he never got to know his father. He describes the jump into the spotlight, his great career and his two great loved ones. After his first wife Lilli Blessmann died, he married a second time in 2023 at the age of 91 and now enjoys retirement with his Rosi near Hamburg.