Dieter Meier | |
|---|---|
 Meier in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 4 March 1945 Zürich, Switzerland |
| Genres | Electronic |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Website |
www |
Dieter Meier (born 4 March 1945) is a Swiss musician, conceptual artist and entrepreneur. He is the frontman of the electronic music group Yello, which was co-founded (with ex-member Carlos Perón) by music producer Boris Blank. He is a vocalist and lyricist, as well as manager and producer of the group.
Biography and career
Early life
Meier was born on 4 March 1945 in Zürich, Switzerland. He started studying law at university but dropped out without a degree. After that he tried working at a bank and as a professional gambler. Due to his father, who Meier claims rose from poor origins to become a successful private banker, by the time he went to university, Meier was already a millionaire.
Musical career
In the late 1970s Meier was brought in when the two founders of the Swiss electronic band Yello required a singer. The band was originally formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s. Perón left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career.[ citation needed] Meier provided almost all vocals, backing vocals and lyrics for " Oh Yeah", Yello's most commercially successful single. The song appears in the films Ferris Bueller's Day Off, director Jonathan Demme's Something Wild and the television episode of South Park " Hell on Earth 2006".[ citation needed]
Along with Talking Heads vocalist David Byrne, Meier was a guest artist on the X-Press 2 album Muzikizum.[ citation needed] He also performed lead vocals on the single "I Want You Back".[ citation needed]
Artist
As a conceptual artist, he exhibits at art exhibitions.[ citation needed] He began his career as a performance artist in the late 1960s. [1] In 1972 as part of Documenta 5, Meier installed a commemorative plaque at the railway station in Kassel (Germany) which read: "On 23 March 1994, from 3 to 4 pm, Dieter Meier will stand on this plaque". He honored the promise 22 years later. [2] [3]
Meier has directed films and videos, including German music group Alphaville's " Big in Japan" video. [4] His wife Monique also took a part in the video.[ citation needed]
In the 1990s Meier continued his performance art, designed silk scarves and was involved with ReWATCH, a company that recycles cans into watches.[ citation needed] In the late nineties, he bought 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) of land in Argentina, a four-hour drive away from Buenos Aires. The ranch is named "Ojo de Agua".[ citation needed] His restaurant and store in Zürich has the same name from which he sells wine, meat, corn and soy products.[ citation needed]
Acting
In 1989 Meier played a demimonde businessman in the Swiss drama-comedy Leo Sonnyboy by Rolf Lyssy[ citation needed], and in 1992 he had a part in the Daniel Schmid comedy, Hors Saison.[ citation needed] In 2006 he acted in the bit part of 'Gamsie' in National Lampoon's Pledge This![ citation needed] In 2013, he played a furrier in the film Finsterworld.[ citation needed]
Business ventures
Meier has invested in several companies in various industries. He acquired a controlling interest in Euphonix, a producer of digital mixing desks for recording studios, and became chairman of the board. [5] In 2010 he sold the company at a loss to Avid Technology. [6] [7]
His successful investments in companies and business ventures during the last decades have brought Meier assets which are estimated around 150-200 million Swiss franc as of 2017 [update]. [8]
Personal life
Meier lives in Zürich with his wife Monique. He is the father of five children. [9]
References
- ^ "YELLO.com". www.yello.com.
- ^ "Dieter Meier | 1994 - datum II". www.dietermeier.com.
- ^ "Yello: A Situationist History (fawny.org: Joe Clark)". fawny.org.
- ^ "alphaville.de 20th anniversary edition". Archived from the original on 12 July 2007.
- ^ "Euphonix goes private" (PDF). Mix. New York City: Primedia. April 2002. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
-
^ Wiggins, Peter (2 July 2012).
"More bad news from Avid, is their NLE ship slowly sinking?". FCP.co. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
they bought Euphonix from Yello's Dieter Meier
-
^ Tribelhorn, Marc; Scherrer, Lucien (10 October 2020).
"«Deine Musik ist scheisse. Aber geil, dass du dich Meier nennst!»". Beue Zürcher Zeitung (in German).
I had to sell the Euphonix company at a loss. It was a nightmare.
- ^ "Wie Dieter Meier es unter die Reichsten schaffte". Tages-Anzeiger (in German).
- ^ "Dieter Meiers Sohn will nicht vergessen werden". Bilanz (in German). Retrieved 14 January 2018.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
