Sascha Schmitz
Encyclopedia
Sascha Schmitz better known under his stage name Sasha, is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

. From 2003 until 2005 he performed under his alter ego Dick Brave.

Early life

Schmitz is the elder of two children born to cook Fritz Schmitz, a former Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

 soldier, and his wife Ramona, a nursery nurse. Raised in a Christian home alongside his younger brother Norman (born 1976), Schmitz spent his childhood in Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

, following his parents' divorce.

His early musical interest grew when he started his first school band, called Bad to the Bone, which "was exactly as bad as the name suggests," he later stated. Schmitz's first professional band was called Junk Food and modelled on bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

. Although the band was never offered a recording contract, they played live all over their area, resulting into occasional busking sessions with his friend Benedict, with whom he also performed as the Hin und Hair Schmitz duo. In 1992, Junk Food won a local talent contest which entitled them to record demo tapes at the Click Music Studios in Werl
Werl
Werl is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area...

 with producers Michael "Grant Michael B." Kersting and Stephan "Pomez Di Lorenzo" Baader. While the band broke up shortly thereafter, Grant and Di Lorenzo recognized his singing talents and hired Schmitz as a backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

 for several of their projects.

1996–2002

During the following years, Schmitz earned his money as a background singer for several artists, including virtual euro-dance project
Virtual band
In music, a virtual band is any group whose members are not corporeal musicians, but animated characters...

s H.I.M and Sir Prize, whose singles "Lookin' Out 4 Luv" and "Don't Go Away" were released in German-speaking Europe
German-speaking Europe
The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in West, Central and Eastern Europe...

, but led to short promotional tours in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

. His contribution to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 rapper Der Wolf`s debut single "Gibt's Doch Gar Nicht" however, scored him his first uncredited appearance on the German and Swiss Singles Charts in early 1997. Soon thereafter, Sasha was consulted to sing on "Walk on By," the debut single female rapper Young Deenay
Young Deenay
Fatima Napo, alias Young Deenay is a Malian hip hop and rap artist.She studied psychology at the University of Frankfurt....

. The song became a top ten hit in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...

 and resulted into a second collaboration, entitled "Wanna Be Your Lover," on which he received his first credited solo part and filmed a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for.

In 1998, Schmitz signed a solo contract with Warner Music. He worked with Grant, Di Lorenzo and Pete Smith
Pete Smith
Pete Smith is the name of:* Pete Smith , Australian radio and television announcer* Pete Smith , Major League Baseball pitcher, 1962–1963...

 on the majority of his debut album Dedicated to...
Dedicated to...
Dedicated to... is the debut studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on November 16, 1998 in German-speaking Europe...

, whose reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

-influenced debut single "I'm Still Waitin'" saw him re-teaming with Deenay and reached the top twenty of the charts in summer 1998. The track was followed by "If You Believe," which would become his highest-charting single to date and reached the top five in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Germany, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and Switzerland, receiving one platinum and four gold discs. A "blend of romantic ballads and quicker funk- and reggae-inspired tracks," according to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

, the album was eventually released in fall 1998 and sold more than 400,000 copies in Germany alone. With "We Can Leave the World" and "I Feel Lonely" the album spawned two further top ten hits, which Schmitz performed on a tour between September and October 1999. The following two years he was awarded several international prizes such as a Bambi
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...

, a Comet, an ECHO, and the Goldene Europa
Goldene Europa
The Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies...

, the Goldene Kamera and became the first German singer to be nominated for Best Male Act International at MTV Europe Music Awards.

In May 2000, Schmitz released his second album ...You
...You
...You is the second studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on May 2, 2000 in German-speaking Europe, chiefly produced by Grant Michael B. and Pomez di Lorenzo....

 throughout Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...

. Although neither its leading single "Let Me Be the One," nor follow-up singles "Chemical Reaction" and "Owner of My Heart" managed to reach the top ten on the charts, ...You debuted within the top five of the albums charts in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, receiving a gold certification by the Austrian and the German leg of the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...

. Surfin' on a Backbeat
Surfin' on a Backbeat
Surfin' on a Backbeat is the third studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on October 29, 2001 in German-speaking Europe....

, Schmitz's third album was released in October 2001. It reached the top ten of the albums charts in Germany, but charted significantly lower than its predecessors throughout the rest of Europe, reaching the top forty in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 only. It was cerified gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

 by the German lef of the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...

 for more than 200,000 sold copies. A reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....

 of the album, containing two previously unreleased tracks, was released in July 2002 and produced the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

 television theme "This Is My Time."

2003–2004

By 2003, Schmitz started performing as his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...

 Dick Brave, the lead singer of a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...

 band called Dick Brave & The Backbeats, whose members shared a fictional band history. Inspired by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and originally conceived as a humorous lark (Schmitz and his fellow musicians André "Adriano Batolba" Tolba, Maik "Mike Scott" Schott, Felix "Phil X Hanson" Wiegand and Martell "Matt L. Hanson" actually "acted" as their alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...

s on-stage and during interviews), the quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....

 recorded a whole album together, including re-arranged cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

s of songs such as Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

's "Get the Party Started
Get the Party Started
"Get the Party Started" is a song performed by Pink, and was the first single from her second album, Missundaztood . It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries. The song was Pink's highest selling at that time...

," George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...

's "Freedom
Freedom (Wham! song)
"Freedom" is a song by British pop duo Wham! in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit. It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo.-History:...

," and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

's "Black or White." Dick This! eventually became Schmitz's first number-one record, and produced a remake of 1961's "Take Good Care of My Baby
Take Good Care of My Baby
"Take Good Care of My Baby" is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and made famous by Bobby Vee, when it was released in 1961. It quickly became popular, reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in September. The song was covered by The Beatles during their audition at Decca Records on...

," as a single.

In November 2004, the project was discontinued, following a final concert at the Dortmunder Westfalenhalle
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....

 on 22 November 2004. On 7 January 2006, the band re-formed temporarily to perform at the wedding party of Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

 and motocross racer Carey Hart
Carey Hart
Carey Jason Hart is an American freestyle motocross motorcycle racer and off-road racer. He and singer Pink have been married since 2006.-Early years:...

 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

.

2005–present

Following a two years-hiatus Sascha returned in 2006 with his fourth regular album Open Water
Open Water (album)
Open Water is the fourth regular studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on March 3, 2006 in German-speaking Europe....

. Schmitz was heavily involved in the album's writing and production process, for which he consulted musicians Fabio Trentini and Robin Grubert. The album charted significantly higher than its predecessor Surfin' on a Backbeat (2001) throughout Europe, reaching number seven on the German Albums Chart and the top forty in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, but is Schmitz's lowest-selling album, to date. Open Water produced two singles only, including "Slowly" and "Goodbye."

In fall 2006, a Greatest Hits compilation was released which reached number six on the German charts and was eventually certified platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...

. In 2007, Schmitz released "Hide & Seek," the theme song for the German motion picture Die drei ??? - Das Geheimnis der Geisterinsel, as a single. The song peaked at number eight on the German Singles Chart and, in addition, appeared on a re-release edition of the greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...

 album. On 7 July 2007, he performed at the German leg
Live Earth concert, Hamburg
The Live Earth concert in Germany was held at HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg on 7 July 2007.-Running order:In order of appearance:*Shakira - "Don't Bother", "Inevitable", "Dia Especial" with Gustavo Cerati, "Hips Don't Lie"...

 of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...

 in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

.

In 2009 his 5th studio album Good News on a Bad Day
Good News on a Bad Day
Good News on a Bad Day is the fifth regular studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on February 27, 2009 in German-speaking Europe....

 was released, it had the best sales so far since ...You
...You
...You is the second studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on May 2, 2000 in German-speaking Europe, chiefly produced by Grant Michael B. and Pomez di Lorenzo....

.

Acting career

In 2006, Sascha made his big screen debut with a small role in the German comedy film Goldene Zeiten
Goldene Zeiten
Goldene Zeiten is a German film released in 2006. It is the last film in director Peter Torwarth's trilogy of films set in his hometown Unna, and was preceded by Bang Boom Bang and Was nicht passt wird passend gemacht...

, directed by Peter Thorwarth. The following year he accepted a supporting role in the film adaption of Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps (2007) alongside Benno Fürmann
Benno Fürmann
Benjamin "Benno" Fürmann is a German film and television actor.-Life and work:Fürmann was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg. By the age of 15 he had lost both his parents. At 17, he had a serious accident while train surfing, and had to spend six weeks in the hospital as a result...

 and Jessica Schwarz
Jessica Schwarz
-Biography:Schwarz was born and grew up in the small town of Michelstadt, Germany. She won a contest of the German teen magazine Bravo in 1993. Subsequently, she worked as a model and VJ for the music channel VIVA. In 2000 she started her acting career and occasionally hosts events, e.g. the German...

. In the film he portrayed the comedic role of a brutal biker. In 2008, Sascha appeared in the German movie Ossi’s Eleven, for which he contributed two songs to the soundtrack unter the pseudonym Nelson Rogers.

Studio albums

  • Dedicated to...
    Dedicated to...
    Dedicated to... is the debut studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on November 16, 1998 in German-speaking Europe...

     (1998)
  • ...You
    ...You
    ...You is the second studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on May 2, 2000 in German-speaking Europe, chiefly produced by Grant Michael B. and Pomez di Lorenzo....

     (2000)
  • Surfin' on a Backbeat
    Surfin' on a Backbeat
    Surfin' on a Backbeat is the third studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on October 29, 2001 in German-speaking Europe....

     (2001)
  • Dick This (2003) (as Dick Brave & The Backbeats)
  • Open Water
    Open Water (album)
    Open Water is the fourth regular studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on March 3, 2006 in German-speaking Europe....

     (2006)
  • Good News on a Bad Day
    Good News on a Bad Day
    Good News on a Bad Day is the fifth regular studio album by German pop singer Sasha, released by Warner Music on February 27, 2009 in German-speaking Europe....

     (2009)
  • Rock'n'Roll Therapy (2011) (as Dick Brave & The Backbeats)

Filmography

  • Goldene Zeiten
    Goldene Zeiten
    Goldene Zeiten is a German film released in 2006. It is the last film in director Peter Torwarth's trilogy of films set in his hometown Unna, and was preceded by Bang Boom Bang and Was nicht passt wird passend gemacht...

     (2006) — guest 3
  • Warum Männer nicht zuhören und Frauen schlecht einparken (2007) — Sven
  • Ossi's Eleven (2008) — Tommy Beck
  • C.I.S. - Chaoten im Sondereinsatz — Lukas Maler (Hauptrolle)

External links

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