Was 74 years old

Ton-Steine-Scherben star R.P.S. Lanrue has died

Mourning for R.P.S. Lanrue: The co-founder of the German band Ton Steine Scherben has died.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Britta Pedersen / dpa)

The musician known as R.P.S. Lanrue, Ralph Peter Steitz, has died. The co-founder of the political rock band Ton Steine Scherben died on Sunday in Berlin surrounded by his family at the age of 74, his wife confirmed to the German Press Agency in Berlin.

Lanrue had founded the band with Rio Reiser in 1970. Ralph Peter Steitz (Lanrue) and Ralph Christian Möbius (Reiser) had a lot in common. They ran into each other in Nieder-Roden in Hesse in 1966. Lanrue needed a guitarist and asked Reiser to play a Stones song. As Beat Kings and De Galaxis, they played covers and their first original songs.

Mourning for R.P.S. Lanrue
The German Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, once the band's manager, expressed her sadness and deep sorrow in a reaction. "This is a great loss, also for me personally," said the Green politician in a statement. "R.P.S. Lanrue was one of the most important composers and guitarists in our country."

His collaboration with Rio Reiser resulted in songs that shaped the sound of an entire generation. "With Ton Steine Scherben, they founded one of the most political bands in our country, but one that also stood for great art."

"Songs are timeless"
Lanrue had made and shaped music for more than 50 years and stood for a militant idea of combining music and politics. "The songs are timeless, they are still just as moving and powerful today," said Roth.