Gus Backus is dead. The pop singer died after a long, serious illness at the age of 81 years at his home in Germering near Munich, as his children announced on Friday. A big funeral is not planned. Backus is buried in close family, his daughter said. "That was his wish."
Born in 1937 in New York under the name of Donald Edgar Backus, he was in Germany in the sixties and seventies, including hits like "Brown Bear and white dove", "There spoke the old chief of the Indians" and "The man in the moon" famous - also because of its American accent.
Also as an actor Backus stood for more than 30 films in front of the camera. He had his most famous appearance in the Austrian comedy film "Our great aunts" (1961) with his "sauerkraut polka".
For his 80th birthday in September 2017 Backus had wished in conversation with the German Press Agency still to be 90 years old. The family did not name backgrounds to his illness. Backus was married several times and leaves behind several children.