BERLIN, Germany (Top40 Charts/ ECHO German
Music Awards) - The
Scorpions will receive a lifetime achievement award at this year's ECHO German
Music Awards. The band, whose international career began 40 years ago in Hanover, is the most successful German rock group of all time. With over 75 million recordings sold and countless platinum and gold albums, it has influenced generations of rock musicians. The
Scorpions will accept their ECHO in person on 21 February at Berlin's O2 World and perform an exclusive medley before 10,000 fans. If you want see numerous stars close up at this musical extravaganza, make sure you get your ticket now at www.echopop.de.
With albums such as "Blackout" and "Love At First Sting", and hit singles like "Still Loving You" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane", the Scorpions not only made German rock history; the line-up fronted by Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs is an international hard-rock pioneer and has influenced bands like Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi and Metallica. The "Scorps" are one of today's great, legendary global acts and still enjoy huge success - whether in Russia, India, Japan, Brazil, France, Britain or the USA. During their acclaimed "Humanity - Hour 1" world tour last year they played to over 150,000 fans at concerts in South America, and campaigned massively with Greenpeace for protecting the world's rainforests.
"The Scorpions are absolutely one of the world's top bands," said Gerd Gebhardt, Executive Producer of ECHO. "Their path took them from the clubs of Hanover to the biggest stadia in the world. Even today, their music always hits the mark with listeners from different cultures and they've done this consistently over four decades. Anyone who's experienced a Scorpions concert knows why this is: This band always gives always 100 percent. This is pure adrenalin and concentrated energy - Rock from Germany for the whole World!" Das Erste will broadcast the MME-produced ECHO Awards, which are presented by Barbara Schoneberger and Oliver Pocher, at 8:15pm on 21 February. Alongside the Scorpions, the stage acts include U2, Depeche Mode, Udo Lindenberg, Katy Perry, Sasha, Silbermond and Amy MacDonald.
The Scorpions were founded as a school band in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in Sarstedt, Lower Saxony. Singer Klaus Meine joined in 1969. After the first international successes in the '70s, Matthias Jabs took over as lead guitarist. Since 1979 he has been a permanent member of the band.
Musically, the "Scorps" still captivate listeners today with hard rock numbers on the one hand, and poignant, powerful ballads on the other. The single "Wind Of Change" was a worldwide number 1 hit, and as a global anthem it was the sound track to the peaceful end of the Cold War. The concept album "Humanity - Hour 1" (2007) showed that Schenker, Meine and Jabs, along with bass player Pawel Maciwoda and drummer James Kottak are still on the cutting edge of the scene: the Scorpions' tried and tested sound of catchy melodies and robust riffs merges with innovative metal and vociferous social criticism - another worldwide success. The subsequent tour took the band around the globe once more. The Scorpions are currently preparing for the 22nd album of their career.
