Ingo Schwichtenberg

Ingo "Mr. Smile" Schwichtenberg (18 May 1965 – 8 March 1995) was a German drummer and one of the founding members of German power metal band Helloween. Schwichtenberg was famous for his high-energy drumming—his Helloween bandmates gave him the nickname, "Mr. Smile", because he often appeared to be cheerful and smiling.

Ingo Schwichtenberg
Background information
Also known asMr. Smile
Born(1965-05-18)18 May 1965
OriginHamburg, Germany
Died8 March 1995(1995-03-08) (aged 29)
GenresPower metal, speed metal, heavy metal
Occupation(s)Drummer
InstrumentsDrums, percussion, guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, flute
Years active1978–1993
Associated actsHelloween, Gentry, Iron Fist
Websiteingoschwichtenberg.com (in German)

Schwichtenberg was fired from the band in 1993 during the tour of the album Chameleon. Schwichtenberg was apparently somewhat dissatisfied with the direction of the band as well, even going as far as to refer to their song from the Chameleon album "Windmill", as "Shitmill".

After his ejection from the band, Schwichtenberg slid further and further into his schizophrenic episodes, culminating in his suicide in 1995 by jumping in front of an S-train in his native hometown Hamburg. He was 29 years old.[1][2] Schwichtenberg's replacement in the band was Uli Kusch.

Helloween dedicated the album The Time of the Oath to him. His friend Kai Hansen had dedicated the song "Afterlife", from Gamma Ray's Land of the Free to him. Michael Kiske also made a tribute to Schwichtenberg with the track "Always", from his first solo album Instant Clarity. The song Step Out of Hell from Helloween album Chameleon is written by Roland Grapow about Schwichtenberg's problems with drug abuse.[3]

Discography

with Helloween

with Doc Eisenhauer

  • Alles Im Lack (1992) - Drums on "Pharao"

References
  1. "Ingo Schwichtenberg". www.metalstorm.net. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  2. Kröber, Dietmar. "Galerie verstorbener Musiker - Anno 1995". www.musikworld.de (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  3. Akopova, Ekaterina (12 June 2013). "Masterplan: We Want To Be Different". headbanger.ru. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
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