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by Kathrin Haasis translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch Castle owner with a weakness for schmaltz Chris de Burgh is on stage for 30 years - scorned by the critics Popstars lead a difficult life in the blinding, sweatening footlights. Especially Chris de Burgh. The man who became 55 years old the day before yesterday still looks like an innocuous boy, carries a chivalrous name and even lives in a castle. He appears to be an incurable romantic. At least in his songs it is all about heart and pain, more about love than desire, about beautiful women and languishing men, who sometimes find each other, sometimes lose each other. Since almost 30 years he beseeches damsels of castles in all countries, stayed always true to his style in over 150 lovely schlagers on almost 20 albums and with his estimated property of 50 million Euros he resides on rank 30 of the richest British people. Thus irreconcilable discrepancies, that refuse the happy end of the liaison with the journalists. Of course you can't really reproach the Irish bard for anything - as always it is a matter of taste, but the taste of the critics is different. Some find he is so boring you will fall asleep. Others write he should rather have become pope than singer. They feel remembered of a church congress on his concerts, as much as he lets the crowd sing along the chorus to his acoustic guitar. The halls are astonishingly well visited, they report almost unbelievably and describe how ladies lay red roses to his feet. The nicest ones call him the "little Irishman with the big voice", the nastiest ones say that Chris de Burgh plays only "greasy smooth marriage-broking-pop", and a Stuttgart newspaper even compares him with the Kastelruther Spatzen. The star himself takes it easy. "I don't take notice of critics. They have been written by somebody who gets CDs and concert tickets for free." In an interview he explains that for him only counts how the audience thinks about his work. And the audience is enthusiastic. For example the writer of a reader's letter from Leinfelden-Echterdingen, who defends CdeB (as the fans call him lovingly) emphatically against the comparison with the folk musicians: "He belongs to the artists who offer value for money", emphasizes the fan, "he really doesn't deserve to be dismissed as a crooner." In general his modesty is his big plus. And most journalists conclude their contemplations about Chris de Burgh with the same finding: He is an ordinary man, they write, and that's the secret to his success. Chris de Burgh was born as Christopher John Davidon in Buenos Aires on October 15, 1948. The pen name comes from his mother, who was born as a De Burgh - with a family tree that can allegedly be traced back to the 9th century. The second wife of William the Conquerer is supposed to have had this name and also in a play of Shakespeare a Hubert de Burgh refuses to blind the princess in the London tower. Chris' father was a British diplomate, that's the reason for the exotic birthplace of the true Irishman. From Buenos Aires the parents moved with both sons to Malta, Nigeria and Zaire. As a six year old CdeB went on a boarding school in Ireland. 1960 his father fulfilled a dream and moved into a castle. The diplomate renovated it and it operated as a hotel in the summer months. Christopher is supposed to have played Bob-Dylan-songs on the guitar to the guests. Later Chris de Burgh properly studied English and French at the Trinity College in Dublin, but then changed to the entertainment business. As usual at the beginning of a carreer, he performed in a lot of clubs for minimal salaries. 1974 he got his first record contract and a year later the debut album "Far Beyond These Castle Walls" was ready: what else could it be than an album full of romantic-sensitive and gruesome stories of knights, kings, crusades and the devil. Even though he had a number one hit in Brazil with the single "Flying", the next LP "Spanish Train And Other Stories" went gold in Canada and in Norway his fifth album "Eastern Wind" beat the Beatles with "Let It Be" in the sales charts. Worldwide only few wanted to hear his first records that were partly recorded lavishly with orchestra. Extended tours (at the beginning as an opening act of Supertramp) and especially "Don't Pay The Ferryman" made a celebrated star out of the Irish bard in 1982. His music is smoothly ironed, found the critics, he has used more synthesizer to make them suitable for the charts, which succeeded especially well in 1986 with "Lady In Red". Today still there can't be a concert without the stage being bathed in red light at the end and CdeB singing his everlasting lovesong which is, as he never fails to mention, dedicated to his wife with whom he is married 25 years. He enjoys singing it, he says, "because it makes people happy". Asked how he writes songs, Chris de Burgh gives the following explanation: "I could write a song about this ashtray in front of me with the three cigarette stubs. There is lipstick on one, and none on the others. So it's a woman and her two lovers. One came before the other - and now I could write a whole story about it. Just about this ashtray..." But Chris de Burgh rejects emphatically that he is a dreamer. He is a realist, emphasizes the 55 year old, but wants to convey hope in difficult moments. "If I am honest, I don't believe that there will be a second millennium: There will be a big catastrophe that carries off the majority of mankind", he explains. He enjoys singing about peace and harmony, but points out on the true outrages just in general - if at all. Chris de Burgh isn't really a political person, he only sometimes rages about the self-called world policeman USA or performs at charity concerts. In 1995 the musician fulfilled a long dream and played with 32 orchestra members the CD "Beautiful Dreams" with new and old songs of his large repertoire. The fans liked it, the critics contorted their faces once again. Apart from a few concerts and the publishing of the compilation album "The Love Songs" CdeB withdrew to his castle in the second half of the 90s and worked out new material that was published in 1999 as "Quiet Revolution". In January 2001 the singer performed at "Wetten Dass...?". A year later his currently last album "Timing Is Everything" came out. He's supposedly sitting in the studio again at the moment. "To have a hit isn't necessarily important for me anymore these days", he comments his smaller successes. Chris de Burgh has sold more than 45 million records over the years. Whether you like his songs or not: It's indisputable that the man is well-preserved. Even a short affair with a nanny in the middle of the 90s couldn't harm his romantic image. Asked about his relationship with Germany, he says: "It's a love affair. Why the people there love my music so much, I don't know. Maybe it is because I am just a normal person without star allures. Personally I like the people, the food, the landscape in Germany. Shortly: I feel at home there!" You can read the same in Canadian newspapers about Canada and in ... Oh well, who cares! The main thing is that he plays "Lady In Red". |
File last modified on August 26, 2006