Trivia

At the beginning of his career it was not music but Willi Kollo's literally talent which was spotted first and got much praise in the press.

His engagements as a film composer remained from 1939 seldom in the next years but he was busy in this area till at the beginning of the 70s.

At the age of 17 he already wrote the lyrics for the operetta "Der Fürst von Pappenheim" composed by Hugo Hirsch including the song "Eine Frau wie ich, ist 'ne Sache für sich".

His work was honoured when the great actor Hans Albers died in 1960. His song "Ich habe eine kleine Philosophie" - which was also sung by Hans Albers then - was played at Albers's funeral.

Willi Kollo was born as the son of the well-known composer Walter Kollo under the name Willi Kollodzieyski. His father was not very enthusiastic at the beginning of his son's career, this changed from 1923. In that year he began a teamwork with his father but Willi Kollo was only able to work as a lyricist and not as a composer and the teamwork ended again five years later.

At the end of the 20s Willi Kollo became well-known as an author of cabaret revues and eventually came to the film where he wrote scripts as well as film compositions.

To his first film compositions belong "Zille-Typen" (1929), "Evelyne" (1929), and "Meine Frau, die Hochstaplerin" (1931).

First successful songs outside the film business established the him as a young composer. The song" In deine Hände leg ich mein ganzes Glück", even conquered Europe and the USA under the title "My Heart was Sleeping".

Willi Kollo's son René Kollo became a famous tenor, his daughter Marguerite Kollo worked as a music publisher and an artist agent.