An entire industry is mourning the loss of a well-known and popular children's song singer who died "very suddenly and unexpectedly". One station even responds with a special broadcast.
Barcelona - The well-known children's song singer and author Matthias Meyer-Göllner is dead. The sad news can be read on his homepage: "Matthias died suddenly and completely unexpectedly in Barcelona on April 7th," it says there. “He loved playing music for you and with you! The children in particular, with their enthusiasm, were a source of joy and inspiration for him. He leaves us stunned and very, very sad! But his songs and lyrics remain and will always remind us of him!”
Matthias Meyer-Göllner aka Irmi with the timpani is dead - he has been writing children's music for decades
Meyer-Göllner was born in Neumünster in 1963 and lived in Kiel (Schleswig-Holstein). He might have been better known to some as “Irmi with the Timpani”. According to the publisher, he had been organizing family workshops, music events and participatory concerts under this label since 1992. He was a children's songwriter and music educator who not only published music, but also numerous books with his songs. He began composing songs for the guitar as a small boy and discovered his enthusiasm for children's songs during his special education studies.
Great sadness among fans and companions: Volker Rosin and Rolf Zuckowski were also stunned
How popular and well-known he was is reflected in the numerous reactions on social media. Volker Rosin, who is a regular in the charts with his children's music, writes on Facebook: “My very esteemed colleague Matthias Meyer-Göllner died unexpectedly. I am stunned and sad. His always friendly and emphatic manner will never be forgotten, as will his major contribution to the children's song scene over the last 30 years. Matthias, you are missed!”
Children's songwriter Suli Puschban also reacted with dismay via an Instagram posting. “My dear friend and colleague Matthias Meyer-Göllner passed away unexpectedly. It breaks my heart!” her post begins. She continues: “He was an endless source of joy for life and creativity, the heart of our children's music network, through which I got to know him many years ago. Without my 'Number Two' I will never be the same 'Number One' again. An irreplaceable loss.” One of the biggest legends in the industry: Rolf Zuckowski also commented on Puschban’s contribution. He writes: “We are losing such a special, integrating and encouraging power. Heartfelt condolences to his bereaved families.”
The shocked social media reactions from colleagues are too numerous to reproduce here. He was “probably the greatest possible common denominator in our entire children's music scene and a children's songwriter with heart and soul,” says Stephen Janetzko. And Liederlukas writes: “I remember beautiful and, above all, very inspiring encounters with him and I think he will be missed very much up here in the north.”
Matthias Meyer-Göllner is dead – radio station announces special broadcast
The station “Radio Küken”, which is aimed at families with children, even announced a special program that will be broadcast next Sunday (April 21st) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Numerous fans are also mourning, as can be seen in the comments of the posts. “His songs accompanied us and our children throughout the day. What a loss. 'Ballerina Bear' is unforgettable,” it says. Or also: “The world is unfair” and “We always had a lot of fun and joy when he gave seminars.”
One follower shared particularly moving words: “All three of my children grew up listening to his songs. We went to his concerts and listened to his CDs and even his cassettes over and over again at home and in the car. During the Corona period, we and our neighbors put our children to bed at the window in the evenings with his lullaby 'Look like the silver moon' as a canon for people big and small. Thank you, dear Matthias, for everything.” Nothing was initially known about the cause of death or the circumstances of death. There is also sadness for a favorite from the first RTL Supertalent season.
(lin)