Heck was born in Flensburg, Germany and grew up in Hamburg. In April 1943, when he was five years old, he developed a stutter after being trapped under a staircase after a nighttime British bombing raid during World War II. The stutter went away after he received training in classical singing at age 16. After completing "Mittelschule" (middle school) and a technical "Oberschule" (high school) he was trained as a "Technischer Kaufmann" (technical salesman) by Borgward in Hamburg and worked afterwards as a salesman. He left the company before it went bankrupt in 1961.
In 1959, Heck appeared on Peter Frankenfelds talent show Toi – Toi – Toi, singing Hippe-di-hipp, mein Mädchen. In 1961, he participated in the preliminary round of the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson (now Eurovision Song Contest). After employment as a car salesman, Heck worked for a record company. He visited the radio station Südwestfunk (SWF) in Baden-Baden on 23 November 1963 and was asked to be interviewed because a scheduled guest did not show up. The moderator asked clumsy questions so Heck took over conducting the interview himself. As a result, Herbert Falk offered him the job of hosting a 90-minute "Sendung" (broadcast) every Saturday. Heck then worked for Radio Luxemburg from 1965 to September 1966. It was customary there to use only a first name, and as "Dieter" was already taken, Heck asked readers of the youth magazine Bravo for an alternative name. The readers chose "Thomas", and he has used it since. He collaborated with Frank Elstner and they became friends.
He then worked for SR 1 Europawelle of the Saarländischer Rundfunk. He concentrated on German Schlager music, a topic not favored by other moderators. His series Die Deutsche Schlagerparade was so successful that it was partly recorded. In 1967, he was a co-founder of the award Goldene Europa for German singers, which was first awarded in 1968.
Heck's breakthrough came with ZDF-Hitparade, a TV series for the ZDF in Mainz, based on the model of the Schlagerparade and staged by Truck Branss. It was considered an influential music feature of the 1970s and 1980s. He presented it 183 times between 1969 and 1984. Heck initiated the award Goldene Stimmgabel. From 1982 to 1989, he was also moderator for the Südwestfunk in the series Gute Laune aus Südwest and Vom Telefon zum Mikrofon. For the ZDF, he moderated 4 gegen 4 (1973), Die Pyramide (1978), Schwarz auf Weiß, Ihr Einsatz bitte – Made in Germany, Das ist ihr Leben (1994), Das große Los, Showpalast, Das Sommer-Hitfestival, Das Silvester-Hitfestival and finally Melodien für Millionen (Melodies for Millions), a gala for the benefit of the German Cancer Aid. He retired from the ZDF in 2007.[2] Heck published his biography in 2011.
As an actor, in 1970 he starred in the role of the showmaster in the TV play Das Millionenspiel. He played supporting roles in TV crime series, such as Tatort in 1981, Rosenheim-Cops, Praxis Bülowbogen, and SOKO Stuttgart in 2009.
Heck married in 1962 and again in 1976. He had two sons and one daughter.
Awards
1971: Goldene Kamera in the category Beste Sendung für junge Leute (best feature for young people) for ZDF-Hitparade
1984: Verdienstkreuz am Bande, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1999: Saarländischer Verdienstorden, the Order of Merit of the State of Saarland
2000: Verdienstmedaille of Baden-Württemberg, the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg
2001: The Goldene Feder, a special prize for charitable work
2003: Verdienstorden des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, the Order of Merit of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate
2008: Echo Music Prize for exceptional merits for music in German
2009: Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse of the Federal Republic of Germany
2012: Deutscher Musikpreis
2017: Goldene Kamera lifetime achievement award
Haiti Bei Nacht
Dieter Thomas Heck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ein Duft von Jasimin, so süß und schwer
Haiti bei Nacht, Gitarren am Meer
Nur Palmen und Mondschein ringsumher!
Ejaaaaaa, so singt der Kreole
Ejaaaaaa, von Liebe und Leid!
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
Ejaaaaaa, so singt der Kreole
Ejaaaaaa, von Liebe und Leid!
Haiti bei Nacht, du Traumland im Meer
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
Ejaaaa, ejaaaa ejaaaa, Haiti bei Nacht
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
The song "Haiti bei Nacht" is a lyrical tribute to the Caribbean country of Haiti, specifically its picturesque landscape and alluring nighttime atmosphere. The lyrics paint a vivid portrait of the country's natural beauty, with its sweet scent of jasmine and the gentle sound of guitars played by the sea. The repetition of the phrase "Ejaaaaaa, so singt der Kreole" ("Ejaaaaaa, sings the Creole") suggests a sense of longing and nostalgia, as though the singer is reminiscing about a past love or a place of great personal significance.
Despite the wistful tone of the lyrics, there is a sense of joy and celebration in the song as well. The chorus repeats the phrases "Ejaaaaaa, von Liebe und Leid!" ("Ejaaaaaa, of love and sorrow!") as if to acknowledge the complexity of human emotion and the bittersweet nature of memory. The song ultimately concludes with a simple declaration of love for Haiti, as the singer acknowledges that their homesickness for the country will remain with them always.
Overall, "Haiti bei Nacht" is a beautiful and heartfelt ode to a place that holds great meaning and beauty for the songwriter. The lyrics capture both the joy and pain of memory, and the sense of longing for something that can never be fully recaptured.
Line by Line Meaning
Haiti bei Nacht, du Traumland im Meer
Haiti at night, a dreamland in the sea.
Ein Duft von Jasimin, so süß und schwer
A fragrance of jasmine, so sweet and heavy.
Haiti bei Nacht, Gitarren am Meer
Haiti at night, guitars by the sea.
Nur Palmen und Mondschein ringsumher!
Only palm trees and moonlight all around!
Ejaaaaaa, so singt der Kreole
Ejaaaaaa, so sings the Creole.
Ejaaaaaa, von Liebe und Leid!
Ejaaaaaa, of love and sorrow!
Haiti bei Nacht, du Traumland im Meer
Haiti at night, a dreamland in the sea.
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
My homesickness for you remains all the time!
Ejaaaaaa, so singt der Kreole
Ejaaaaaa, so sings the Creole.
Ejaaaaaa, von Liebe und Leid!
Ejaaaaaa, of love and sorrow!
Haiti bei Nacht, du Traumland im Meer
Haiti at night, a dreamland in the sea.
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
My homesickness for you remains all the time!
Ejaaaa, ejaaaa ejaaaa, Haiti bei Nacht
Ejaaaa, ejaaaa ejaaaa, Haiti at night.
Mein Heimweh nach dir bleibt alle Zeit!
My homesickness for you remains all the time!
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@usha-hc5gw
Unvergessen! Ich bin 61 (7 Jahre alt, hihi) und nun im besten Alter all die Dummheiten zu machen, die ich bisher in meinem Leben zu machen versäumt habe.