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Hansi Kürsch | |
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.jpg) Kürsch performing withBlind Guardian in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hans Jürgen Kürsch |
| Born | (1966-08-10)10 August 1966 (age 58) Lank-Latum,West Germany |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
| Member of | Blind Guardian |
| Formerly of | Demons & Wizards |
Hans Jürgen "Hansi"Kürsch (born 10 August 1966) is a German singer, best known as a member of thepower metal bandBlind Guardian. One of the founders of the band, he has been its lead vocalist since its creation in 1984, and also acted as the band's bass guitarist until 1996.
He is also the former lead vocalist ofDemons & Wizards, a side-project withIced Earth guitaristJon Schaffer until his departure from the project in 2021.[1] Additionally, he has worked prominently as a guest with other artists, includingAngra,Edguy, Iced Earth, andTherion; he notably played characters in theAyreon albums01011001 andThe Source.
Kürsch was born on 10 August 1966 in Lank-Latum, nearDüsseldorf, to a working-class family inWest Germany. He is the youngest of four siblings.
Kürsch was raised in the suburb of Lank-Latum, near a castle called Burg Linn. Having spent his childhood playing football near the castle nurtured his love and passion both for football, as well as fantasy and fairytales, which later became the main source for his lyrics.
By the time he was ten, Kürsch discovered his love for music, specifically Classic Rock bands, such asthe Electric Light Orchestra,Genesis orQueen. However, the turning point for him was coming acrossDeep Purple’s24 Carat Purple for the first time, which not only started his love for Hard Rock music, but also introduced him to bands likeThe Who,Led Zeppelin, and others. He listsIan Gillan,Freddie Mercury, andPeter Gabriel as his favorite singers, and the ones who influenced him the most.[2]
In 1984, while being a Commerce School student, and on the same day Kürsch met his current bandmate andBlind Guardian cofounder,André Olbrich, he became aware of a female student called Andrea, whom he later married in 1991. Their son, Jonas, was born in 2001. Kürsch still resides in Krefeld together with his wife and son.[2]
A signature of Kürsch's songwriting is his practice ofoverdubbing his own voice multiple times in complex, overlapping harmonies on his recordings, creating the atmosphere of a huge choir. The track "Chant" on the firstDemons & Wizards album is vocal only, in the style of a traditionalGregorian chant; Kürsch's is the only voice on the song.
Kürsch's lyrics revolve around various themes prevalent in the power metal genre, including medieval fantasy,J. R. R. Tolkien, religious/mythological tales, and legends/stories, both his own and from the literary world. His lyrics in the first Demons & Wizards album tackle even various themes, whereas "Touched by the Crimson King" was based primarily off different fantasy novels.[3]
Kürsch had also recorded three albums for his side project withJon Schaffer ofIced Earth, Demons & Wizards until his departure in 2021.
Although mostly known for being a clean singer nowadays, Kürsch's early technique made use of a harsher, "screaming" technique. He can be heard using similar, more aggressive, technique while singing guest vocals forHeaven Shall Burn's cover of "Valhalla".
Provided lead vocals, unless stated otherwise.
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