Willi Resetarits
Wilhelm Resetarits (born
December 21,
1948 in
Stinatz,
Austria), better known as
Willi Resetarits and
Dr. Kurt Ostbahn, is an
Austrian
singer,
cabaret artist and
human rights activist.
Resetarits studied
sports and
English studies intending to become a teacher, but his successful career as a musician intervened.
In
1969 Resetarits joined the political rock band
Schmetterlinge (Butterfly). They participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest 1977 in
London with the song
Boom-Boom-Boomerang, which was voted into last but one place.
In the mid-
1980s, together with his colleague
Günter Brödl he developed his
alter ego Dr. Kurt Ostbahn, an excessive personality with an intense stage presence, which turned out to be very successful. The name was created in the mid-
1970s, when Günter Brödl was asked during a radio show what American musicians like
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes would call themselves if they were from
Vienna. He answered
"Ostbahn Kurti & die Chefpartie", which a decade later became the name of Willi Resetarits and his band. Resetarits also introduced the musical form of
Favorit'n'Blues, a
Viennese form of
rhythm and blues. After Günter Brödl died unexpectedly in
2000, Dr. Kurt Ostbahn went on a final commemoration tour and then announced in December
2003 that he would let his alter ego retire.
Resetarits is a
human rights activist and one of the founders of the humanitarian organisations
Asyl in Not and
SOS Mitmensch. He is also one of the founders and chairman of the
Integration House Vienna.
He has made frequent appearances on Austrian TV and in film productions.
Lukas Resetarits (actor in the Austrian TV series
Kottan) and
Peter Resetarits (TV host at
ORF) are his brothers.
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1996:
Nestroy-Ring
*
1998:
Bruno Kreisky Award for Human Rights
*
2000: Josef-Felder-Prize für Gemeinwohl und Zivilcourage
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2003:
Karl Renner-Prize
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Official site (in German)
