Gus Backus


Donald Edgar "Gus" Backus was an American singer and actor. He started his career as a member of The Del-Vikings and later became a successful Schlager singer in Germany.

Life and career

Backus was born on Long Island and started his music career with the Del-Vikings, the first notable Doo-Wop group with both black and white members which had two Billboard Top Ten Hits. After he was stationed as an Airman in the U.S. Air Force at Wiesbaden Air Base in 1957, Backus had to leave The Del-Vikings and started singing Schlager music in 1960s West Germany. He sang all his songs in German with an American accent. 19 of his songs between 1960 and 1967 made the charts, including eight Top Ten hits. He landed a Number 1 hit in the German charts with his song Der Mann im Mond in 1961. Backus also did German cover versions of songs by Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, and Conway Twitty.
In addition to singing, Backus also appeared in nearly 30 film and television productions between 1959 and 1970, often showcasing his songs.
Backus came back to America for some years in the 1970s and worked as a foreman on oil fields in Texas, later returning to Germany. He lived for the rest of his life in Germering near Munich and retired from singing in 2014. He was married three times and fathered four children.

Discography (selection)

Studio albums

Singles