Dieter Meier
| Dieter Meier | |
|---|---|
|
Meier on October 15, 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
March 4, 1945 Zürich, Switzerland |
| Genres | Electronic |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, conceptual artist |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Associated acts | Yello |
| Website |
www |
Dieter Meier (born 4 March 1945, Zürich) is a Swiss musician and conceptual artist. He is the frontman of the electronic music group Yello, which also includes music producer Boris Blank. He is a vocalist and lyricist, as well as manager and producer of the group.
Biography and career
Born to a millionaire family, Meier is not only a performance artist, but a millionaire industrialist, a professional poker player, and also one-time member of the Swiss national golf team.[1]
As a conceptual artist, he has been keeping himself busy with many art exhibitions. In 1972 as part of Documenta 5, Meier installed a commemorative plaque at the railway station in Kassel (Germany) which read: "On 23 March 1994, from 3 to 4 pm, Dieter Meier will stand on this plaque". He honored the promise 22 years later.[2][3]
In the late 1970s Meier, already a millionaire industrialist and gambler, was brought in when the two founders of the Swiss electronic band Yello realised that they required a singer. The band was originally formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s. Perón left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career, ultimately leaving Blank and Meier to record their most well known and commercially successful single "Oh Yeah" in which Meier provided almost all vocals, backing vocals and lyrics. "Oh Yeah" went on to feature in numerous films and television episodes in the following decades including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the episode of South Park "Hell on Earth 2006".
Meier directed numerous films and videos, including German music group Alphaville's "Big in Japan" video.[4] Along with Talking Heads vocalist David Byrne, Meier was a guest artist on the X-Press 2 album Muzikizum. He also performed lead vocals on the single "I Want You Back".
In the 1990s music took a backseat as Meier continued his performance art, designed silk scarves and was involved with ReWATCH, a company that recycles cans into watches. However, two more Yello albums did surface. In the late nineties, he bought 2200 hectares of land in Argentina, a four-hour drive away from Buenos Aires. The ranch is named "Ojo de Agua". His restaurant and store in Zurich has the same name from which he sells wine, meat, corn and soy products.
In 1989 Meier played a demimonde businessman in the Swiss drama-comedy Leo Sonnyboy by Rolf Lyssy, and in 1992 he had a part in the Daniel Schmid comedy, Hors Saison. In 2006 he acted in the bit part of 'Gamsie' in National Lampoon's Pledge This! In 2013, he played a furrier in the film Finsterworld.
Meier also serves on the board of Euphonix, a company that produces technology used in recording studios.[5]
He is the father of four children: Eleonore, Sophie, Anna and Francis. Meier now lives in Zurich with his wife Monique Meier.
Musical career
Fresh Color 1978-1979 source
References
- ↑ "Yello Biography". Samsung Music Hub. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ Video clip on Dieter Meier's official site
- ↑ Yello:A Situationist History
- ↑ alphaville.de 20th anniversary edition
- ↑ Euphonix - News - Interview With Dieter Meier