Maria Hellwig

Maria Hellwig (22 February 1920 – 26 November 2010) was a German yodeler, popular performer of volkstümliche Musik (Alpine folk music), and television presenter.

Maria Neumaier was born in 1920 to Heinrich Neumaier, an electrician, and his wife, Maria, in Reit im Winkl, Bavaria, Germany. At the age of five, she performed for the first time at Bauer Theatre in Reit im Winkl. After leaving school, she took an apprenticeship as a shop assistant. In her spare time, she acted in the theatre and took voice lessons.

She married her first husband, Joseph Fischer, a fellow amateur actor, and had their only child, Margot, on 5 July 1941. Fischer died shortly afterwards while fighting in World War II.

She hosted several music TV-shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Maria became almost blind in 1996. On 26 November 2010, she died in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, Germany.

Links to Peel
JP frequently featured yodelling in his shows. On playing a particularly florid track by Hellwig he commented, "Well, if that hasn't got rid of your warts, nothing will."

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions

 * None

Other Shows Played

 * 18 November 1987: 'Kustallg'stanzl'n (LP-Goldene Jodlerklänge)' (Isarton) (JP: 'Go on admit you're impressed by that, that's Maria Hellwig and the title of the piece is really absolutely unpronounceable about 40 letters long, couple of apostrophes in the middle of it and lots of zeds.')
 * 27 November 1987 (BFBS) / Peel 075 (BFBS): 'Maria's G'stanzln 2 (LP-Die Legende Der Volksmusik)' (Bogner)
 * 21 December 1987: unknown (JP: 'My goodness me I think she could bring down the walls of Jericho.')