Austrian singer/songwriter Ludwig Hirsch was an accomplished and popular musician known for his dark humor and literate, often morbid lyrics. Born in Sankt Magdalena, Styria in 1946, Hirsch spent most of his childhood and youth in Vienna. Ludwig Hirsch first studied visual art at University and, from 1975 to 1979, he was a member of the Theater in der Josefstadt (well-known theatre in Vienna). In 1978 he released his debut album “Dunkelgraue Lieder” (“Dark Grey Songs”). That album's success launched his career as musician and helped build his reputation as one of the architects of the burgeoning Austropop movement of the 70ies and 80ies. Despite Hirsch's often darkly sardonic music, he achieved a high level of success and garnered several accolades during his lifetime, including appearing on a stamp issued by the Austrian postal service in 1993 and winning an Amadeus Austrian Music Award for his 2002 album “Perlen” (“Pearls”). He was also the only Austrian artist who had a lifetime record-deal. Ludwig Hirsch died on November 24, 2011 after suicide at a hospital in Vienna where he was being treated for lung cancer. In 2012, Hirsch was posthumously granted the IFPI Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of the Austrian Music Industry. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi / Universal Music Austria