Born in
Bobingen,
Bavarian Swabia, Germany, Black attended the
Holbein Gymnasium in Augsburg and, aged 20, founded the
rock and roll band Roy Black and His Cannons. His stage name derived from his black hair and his idol,
Roy Orbison. Roy Black and His Cannons achieved some local fame and were offered a
recording contract with
Polydor Records. However, his
record producer Hans Bertram decided on a
solo career for Black, and a switch to romantic
songs for his protégé, a decision which soon led to nationwide fame. In 1966, his
single "
Ganz in Weiß"—a romantic song about
marrying in white—sold in excess of one million copies by the end of 1967. From 1967, Black also took on roles in several musical comedy films, for example in the 1969 movie
Help, I Love Twins opposite
Uschi Glas. In 1974, Black announced his
engagement to
model Silke Vagts (1945–2002), and the couple got married in
Munich the same year. In 1976 their son Torsten was born. They divorced in 1985. Six years later, Black died of
heart failure in combination with an increased
alcohol level, in
Heldenstein near
Mühldorf am Inn. In 1996 the television film '''' was produced, starring
Christoph Waltz as Roy Black. There is a small monument to Black in
Velden am Wörthersee, Austria. During the night of 18 September 2020 the monument, which had been renewed a few days earlier, was stolen by still unknown perpetrators. On 22 September 2020 the bust, which had been stolen, turned up in the garden of an inn in Velden. == Discography ==