Swiss Big Band Pepe Lienhard

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In October 2021, the well-known Swiss musician Pepe Lienhard (75) visited Residence Falkenstein in Menziken, Canton Aaragu, together with his wife Christine.

My mother Lilly is a resident of this home, on January 29, 2022 my mother will celebrate her 100th birthday!

Pepe Lienhard’s visit to this home has nothing to do with my mother’s birth date, his visits to the area are to promote his concert tours in spring 2022 in Switzerland.

Most of you, my readers and followers, probably never heard of Pepe Lienhard, but this famous Swiss Big Band Leader has been “around the block” many times. He played for and with Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston and Udo Jürgens, a famous German singer, just to mention a few.

I like the story because my sister Maja did her apprenticeship in the Town of Lenzburg, the same town where Pepe Lienhard grew up, they use to travel on the train together to Aarau, and have discussion during the trip. She remembers him to be a great guy, kind, simple and down to earth.

Here is some of the Openfire Discussion with Pepe Lienhard during his visit at Residence Falkenstein.

After brief introductory words from Annette Heuberger (Caretaker), the guest reported on his varied life, fresh from the liver.

Born in Lenzburg in 1946, Pepe Lienhard grew up in a simple, middle-class family. His mother ran a grocery store while his father was a well-known railroad operator. As was customary at the time, children were allowed to make their first musical experiences with the recorder. He practiced and played his instrument with great enthusiasm – but the practice pieces soon became boring for him. Dixie had done it to him! To his great joy, he received a saxophone from his mother at Christmas when he was 11 years old. It cost 580 francs!

Own Band: Already at age of 12 

On the way to the first practice lesson in the music store Hug, he was immediately engaged for the saxophone part in a band. However, he didn’t stay too long – the young musician had something else in mind: at the age of 12, he founded his own band, the College-Stompers. His great role model at the time was Chris Barber and it was because of him that the young boys made music in Dixie style.

An amusing mockery from his Lenzburg cadet days: During an exercise in the woods, Pepe had his transit radio with him and listened to fascinating music. On the spur of the moment, he called Radio Beromünster (the radio station on which, as a boy, I sat in front of the radio with my family and listened to radio plays) and did not give up until he knew the author of the piece. It was Quincy Jones, a very gifted musician. Pepe still has fond memories of that meeting with Quincy in Baden’s Kursaal.

Peter Rudolf Lienhard, as his real name is called, went through district school and graduated from the Canton School in Aarau with the Matura.

At his father’s request, he began to study law. But the music never let go of him completely. While still at school he often played dance music at village festivals and earned decent pocket money in the process. At the age of 17 he founded a big band and  performed at the Zurich Jazz Festival. Still on the road as an amateur orchestra, the musicians had an engagement in Hamburg on the Reeperbahn in 1970. Unfortunately, the audience was missing that evening: people preferred to watch an important football match …

Breakthrough with “Sheila Baby”

The big breakthrough came in 1972 with “Sheila Baby” and shortly afterwards the band became known nationwide in all language regions with the song and video for the advertisement of Appenzeller Alpenbitter: “Happy People drink Appenzeller“. Then followed in 1977 with the “Swiss Lady” a blast at the Eurovision Song Contest, where they achieved 6th place.

As luck would have it, the wellt-known, famous Udo Jürgens came to Switzerland in 1977 and was signed by Pepe’s manager at the time, Freddy Burger. Pepe’s long-cherished dream of having his own orchestra finally came true. And so nothing was missing for a wonderful collaboration: from 1977 Udo Jürgens and Pepe Lienhard toured together around the world and enchanted millions of people with their music.

Army Big Band – some military musicians still play in Pepe Lienhard’s Orchestra today

Incomprehensible, but in addition to the appearances with Pepe’s friend Udo, the Falkenstein guest also found time for television appearances, among others with Wysel Gyr or Kurt Felix. He happily accepted the request to found and lead an Army Big Band: During the years between 1995 and 2011, he was allowed to accompany many young, talented people. Some of these military musicians still play in his orchestra today.

Pepe Lienhard talked about encounters with Claude Nobs at the Montreux Jazz Festval, emphasized the friendly relationship with Udo jürgens and deeply regretted his sudden death. Pepe proudly looks back on the successful collaboration with Pino Gasparini in his show band. Pepe Lienhard is privately married to Chrisine. Both enjoy their converted farmhouse in Frauenfeld, TG with fruit trees and small animals. Pepe emphasizes that working in and with nature gives him great pleasure and grounds him, through this he recharged his batteries for his job.

At the end of the chat, Pepe Lienhard pointed out that he would soon appear in the Reinacher Saalbau. Exactly 60 years ago, he won two prizes there at the JEKAMI and was visibly pleased to return there.

 

Pepe Lienhard’s Website – click here