DJ Ötzi | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Gerhard Friedle |
Also known as | DJ Ötzi Junior |
Born |
St. Johann, Tirol, Austria |
7 January 1971
Genres | Pop, schlager, Eurodance |
Occupation(s) | Singer, Entertainer |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | EMI |
Website | www |
Gerhard (Gerry) Friedle (born 7 January 1971) is an Austrian entertainer and singer, better known by his stage name DJ Ötzi (pronounced [ˈdiː.dʃeɪ ˈœ.tsi]). Successful mainly in German-speaking countries, he is best known in the English-speaking world for his 2001 single "Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)", a cover version of the Bruce Channel song "Hey! Baby".
DJ Ötzi was born as Gerhard Friedle in St. Johann, Tirol, and is the son of DJ Anton Friedle. Shortly after birth, his mother, age 17-years at the time, gave him up for adoption. He was raised by foster parents and later by his paternal grandparents in the nearby village of Erpfendorf in Tirol. At a young age he suffered from epilepsy, at age 16, his avulsion from home, landed him for a short time homelessness living on the streets. His career arose gradually, first working as a student cook, then on being discovered at a karaoke competition, went on to work as an entertainer (), disc jockey and singer in discothèques around Austria, as well as tourist destinations Majorca and Turkey. Since childhood, he has endured several setbacks in his life, which continued in recent years with doctors diagnosing testicular cancer, that he defeated, only to be confronted in 2002, before the birth of his daughter, with a severe form of conductive hearing loss.