Ralph Siegel (born 30 September 1945) is a German record producer and songwriter. Siegel is one of the most notable figures at the Eurovision Song Contest, in which he has participated with 24 songs so far, among them the 1982 winner song "Ein bißchen Frieden".
Life and career Ralph Siegel was born the son of composer and of singer Ingeborg Döderlein.
Siegel is a prolific producer in the German genre of Schlager music. Since the early 1970s, he worked with artists like Udo Jürgens, Mary Roos, Heino, Rex Gildo, Michael Holm, Chris Roberts, Costa Cordalis, Mireille Mathieu, Peter Alexander, Roy Black, Karel Gott and Marianne Rosenberg.
Since 1972 has participated with 24 songs in the Eurovision Song Contest, the latest being the 2017 Sammarinese entry "Spirit of the Night" by Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson.
In 1982, Siegel's and Bernd Meinunger's song "Ein bißchen Frieden" (A Little Peace), performed by Nicole won the Contest and became a hit in Europe. In 2003, both writers had success with "Let's Get Happy", performed by Lou which came in 11th. In February 2010, it was announced by RTÉ that he would have an entry in the Irish National Final-Eurosong 2010. The song titled "River of Silence" was performed by Lee Bradshaw. It finished in last place. He also composed "C'était ma vie", performed by Lys Assia for representing Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. She reached an 8th position in Swiss National Final.
Siegel organized a comeback event for the Disco band Dschinghis Khan in June 2018. Dschinghis Khan had been originally organized by Siegel and Dr. Bernd Meinunger to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979. After the success of their first hit, "Dschinghis Khan", both men continued to write popular songs for this band, including "Moskau" and "Hadschi Halef Omar". Siegel makes a rare appearance playing classical guitar in 1984 video footage of Dschinghis Khan performing "Corrida" and "Olé Olé".
In 2021, Siegel premiered his musical Zeppelin.
Personal life
Ralph Siegel's first marriage was to Dunja Siegel from Slovakia in 1975, with whom he had two daughters Giulia Siegel (born 1974) and Marcella Siegel (born 1976). The couple divorced in 1989.
In 1992 he married Dagmar Kögel, (née Weber). His third daughter Alana Siegel was born in 1996. The couple separated in 2002.
His third marriage to the soprano Kriemhild Siegel, (née Jahn), lasted from 2006 until the official separation in August 2014. The legal divorce then took place in 2016.
In 2015 he met the Swiss music manager Laura Käfer. After a three-year relationship, the couple got married in September 2018 in the church Grünwald near Munich. Laura Siegel brought her daughter Ruby Siegel (born 2000), (née Käfer) into the marriage.
Eurovision Song Contest participations + Table key 1st First place 2nd Second place 3rd Third place
YearCountrySongArtistFinalSemi-Final Place PointsPlacePoints "Bye Bye I Love You" Ireen Sheer 4 14 colspan="2" rowspan="17" "Sing Sang Song" Les Humphries Singers 15 12 "Dschinghis Khan" Dschinghis Khan 4 86 "Theater" Katja Ebstein 2 128 "Papa Pingouin" Sophie & Magaly 9 56 "Johnny Blue" Lena Valaitis 2 132 "Ein bißchen Frieden" Nicole 1 161 "Children, Kinder, Enfants" Margo, Ireen Sheer, C. & M. Roberts, Olivier, Solomon 13 37 "Lass die Sonne in dein Herz" Wind 2 141 "Lied für einen Freund" Maxi & Chris Garden 14 48 "Frei zu leben" and Daniel Kovac 9 60 "Träume sind für alle da" Wind 16 27 "Wir geben 'ne Party" Mekado 3 128 "Zeit" Bianca Shomburg 18 22 "Reise nach Jerusalem – Kudüs'e seyahat" Sürpriz 3 140 "I Can't Live Without Music" Corinna May 21 17 "Let's Get Happy" Lou 11 53 "If We All Give a Little" six4one 17 30 colspan="2" "Just Get Out of My Life" Andrea Demirović colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" 11 44 "The Social Network Song" Valentina Monetta 14 31 "Crisalide (Vola)" 11 47 "Maybe" 24 14 10 40 "Chain of Lights" Michele Perniola & Anita Simoncini colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" 16 11 "Spirit of the Night" Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson 18 1
National final participations Year Song Artist Country Position 1972 "Hallelujah Man" Marion Maertz 5th, 12th & 6th "Mein Geschenk an dich" Adrian Wolf "Meine Liebe will ich dir geben" Edina Pop 1975 "Alles geht vorüber" Peggy March 2nd "San Francisco Symphony" Die Jokers12th 1979 "Ein Blick sagt mehr als jedes Wort" Gebrüder Blattschuß 1980 "Pan" Costa Cordalis 2nd 1981 "Mannequin" The Hornettes1982 "Peter Pan" Paola "Blue-Jeans-Kinder" Marianne Rosenberg 8th 1984 "Tingel Tangel Man" Harmony Four 3rd1985 "Grün Grün Grün" Caro Pukke 4th "Die Glocken von Rom" Heike Schäfer 2nd1986 "Telefon" That's Life 12th "Clowns" Clowns 6th "Die Engel sind auch nicht mehr das was sie war'n" Chris Heart Band 3rd "Wir gehör'n zusammen" Dschinghis Khan 2nd1987 "Aus" Cassy 7th "Frieden für die Teddybären" Maxi & Chris Garden 2nd 1988 "Tanzen geh'n" Tammy Swift 7th 1989 "Ich hab' Angst" Dorkas3rd 1990 "So ein wunderschones Leben" Waterloo 4th 1996 "Echoes" Angela Wiedl & Dalila Cernatescu 3rd 1997 "Engel" All About Angels 7th1998 "Can Can" Ballhouse 6th "Carneval" Köpenick 7th 1998 "Kids" Sharon Brauner 8th 2000 "I Believe in God" Corinna May 2nd2001 "A Song for our Friends" German Tenors 4th "Happy Birthday Party" Lou & Band 3rd 2003 "This Night Should Never End" Petra Frey 2nd 2004 "It's a Wonderful Life" Ali & Lis 5th2005 "Time to Fall in Love Again" Louiseann Tate 14th "Don't Stop the Party" Ali & Lis 8th "The Angels Are Tired" Manuel 7th "He" Eleanor Cassar 10th "Addio, Ciao" Aldo Busuttil 5th "Sunshine in Your Eyes" Keith Camilleri 4th "A Miracle of Love" Nicole Süßmilch & Marco Matias 2nd "Sometimes I Wish I Were a Child Again" Tinka Milinović 2nd2009 "Innocent Heart" Ruth Portelli eliminated at SF4 "Tonight at the Opera" Classic Rebels 5th "Blame it on Your Heart" Ruth Portelli eliminated at SF5 2010 "Rivers of Silence" Lee Bradshaw 5th (Last) 2011 "Não estamos sós" Emanuel Santos 20th on online selection2011 "I'll Follow the Sunshine" Domenique Azzopardi Final 24 "This Is My Life" Valeria Tarasova 7th2012 "C'était ma vie" Lys Assia 8th "Save a Little Sunshine" Irina Tarasiuc & MC Gootsa 6th "Mondo blu" Oksana Nesterenko 3rd 2013 "All in Your Head" Lys Assia feat. New Jack eliminated on online selection 2014 "Over the Limit" Edona Gjinaj 2016 "Under the Sun We Are One" Laura Pinski 4th 2017 "Join Us in the Rain" Marks & Stefanet
References