Helge Schneider was born on August 30, 1955 in Mülheim an der Ruhr. From the end of the 1980s, the musician, actor, author and director developed a unique stage concept together with the band Hardcore, which combined jazz, funk, parody and anarchy. The band was formed in 1989 in Mülheim an der Ruhr and consisted of Helge Schneider (vocals, piano, saxophone), Buddy Casino (keyboards) and Peter Thoms (drums, vocals). The band moves musically between free jazz, soul, funk and comedy and performs regularly together, especially in the 1990s. In 1992, the first joint album Guten Tach! was released with songs such as "Telefonmann" and "Buttersong", which were recorded live and in the studio. The double album Es gibt Reis, Baby followed in 1993, marking their commercial breakthrough. The single "Katzeklo" is a great success and reaches number 11 in the German singles charts. The album is now one of the best-known releases by Helge Schneider and Hardcore. 1997 sees the release of Da Humm!, another double album, which reaches number 24 in the German charts and remains in the Top 100 for six weeks. The jazz album Jazz followed in 2001, released as a side project under the name Helge Schneider + Hardcore and interpreting classics such as "Take Five" and "Sunny". In the following years, Helge Schneider performed more frequently with changing backing bands. The Hardcore formation loses its public presence, but remains a cult in fan circles. No new releases with Hardcore are currently announced. Helge Schneider receives the "Piano Player of the Year" award from the German Piano Association in 2008. He continues to live in his home town of Mülheim an der Ruhr.