Peter Behrens

Peter Behrens (born 4 September 1947 in Sande, Lower Saxony, died 11th May 2016 in Wilhelmshafen) is a German drummer, actor, musician and clown.

Life

Peter Behrens is the illegitimate son of an American GI, and was put up for adoption by his biological mother. He was adopted by the Behrens family, where he grew up in northern Germany. After graduating from high school in Jaderberg, he studied at a college nearby, but quit a short while later.

Subsequently, he toured as a drummer in several bands, playing throughout northern Germany, and for half a year throughout Africa. In 1971 he played in the Krautrock bandSilberbart, who released an album of psychedelic hard rock, now very popular among collectors. Nearing the end of the 1970s, he attended the Milan circus school, and worked briefly as a clown and pantomime artist.

Together with Stephan Remmler and Gert "Kralle" Krawinkel, Behrens was a member of the German band Trio in the early 1980s, where he played the drums. The band became known particularly through the minimalist title Da Da Da, a succession to the New German Wave. The other two members met Behrens through a newspaper advertisement. Behrens was especially known for his somewhat formal dress attire: white T-shirt, white pants, red suspenders and red shoes. Behrens' hair-do showed an upward coil similar to that of Moritz of Max and Moritz. Behrens owned this outfit before clown school and Trio. Also he used to play the drums standing upright in a stoic manner, which added to the visual appearance of the band.

After Trio disbanded in 1986, and after overcoming alcoholism and a drug problem, he dedicated himself in Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven to his work as a social worker on the streets. As a solo artist, he was not successful. He interpreted songs, including the official song for the European Football Championship 1988, TDas Tor, Dep De Dö Dep, a cover versionof "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega.

In the late 1980s, Peter Behrens played in a few movies. In his first three films (André schafft sie alle, Drei gegen Drei and Tausend Augen), he played even bigger roles. In Manta – Der Film, he played a minimal supporting role. In 2005 and 2006, he joined Frl. Menkeperforming in a musical in Hamburg. Since this musical ended, he again plays drums in a band. In 2008, under the name Peter Behrens (Ex-Trio) & Drei Mann im Doppelbett a song called "drei zwei", written by three Trio-fans was published, for which his first music video was produced.

Behrens has two children and lives in Wilhelmshaven.

Discography

Albums

• 1971 4 Times Sound Razing (with Silberbart)

Singles

• 1987 Stunden der Einsamkeit
• 1988 Das Tor
• 1990 Sie kam Australien
• 1990 Dep De Dö Dep
• 1991 Der Purple-Lederhosen Lambada
• 1992 Immer nur Love (with Elisabeth Volkmann)
• 2008 drei zwei(with Drei Mann im Doppelbett)

Filmography

• 1984 Tausend Augen
• 1984 Andre schafft sie alle
• 1985 Drei gegen Drei
• 1991 Manta – Der Film