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Otto Waalkes is a German actor, musician, and comedian who began releasing chart-topping comedy albums during the early 1970s. He was born in Emden, Lower Saxony, on July 22, 1948, and made his first public appearance as a musician at age 11. He moved to Hamburg during his early 20s and became a regular fixture in the local clubs, where he honed his combination of musical parodies, original songs, and comedic routines. Unable to secure a record deal, he formed his own label, Rüssl Räckords, and self-released the debut LP Otto in 1973. The album was a surprise hit, climbing to Number 1 on the Offizielle Deutsche Chart and paving the way for another chart-topper, Otto (Die Zweite), in 1974. By the following year, Otto Waalkes' popularity had begun to spread to neighboring countries, with 1975's Oh, Otto charting at Number 2 in Germany and Number 3 in Austria. He maintained his Top 10 status in both countries for a decade, during which period he released the popular albums Das 4. Programm (a Number 1 hit in Germany in 1976), Das Wort zum Montag (1977), Ottocolor (1978), Der Ostfriesische Götterbote (1980), Otto versaut Hamburg (1981), and Hilfe Otto kommt! (a Number 1 hit in Austria in 1983). He also began focusing on his acting career, starring in the wildly successful Otto – Der Film in 1985 and appearing in a number of sequels. During the late-1990s and early 2000s, Waalkes became a popular voice actor for the German versions of American films, including 1998's Mulan and the Ice Age series. Meanwhile, he continued releasing material as a musician and stand-up comic, even earning a Number 12 hit single in Germany with 2006's "Zwergensong."
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