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"We knew right away - this is with us forever"
Currently they are busy - Marianne & Michael are working on a new album, planning a tour, performing. Like now, on "Sundays again". There, in the Europa-Park Rust, the two folk music stars took their time for us. And chatted about the future, the anniversary of their love - and how it all began ...
Congratulations - 40 years together! How did you celebrate?
Marianne : My husband invited me to a Schwabing Café for a champagne breakfast. At home he gave me 40 red roses. And in the evening we had a barbecue with the children. Afterwards, Michael and I drove to Austria for three days and were just happy.
And then - was it love at first sight?
Michael : You can say that already.
Marianne: It was July 17, 1973, our introductory day. Michael was looking for a duet partner, we met in front of the restaurant "Münchner Platzl" - he came to me from a distance, I found him so sympathetic. And so good looking ...
Michael: ... and I thought the same thing, logically! We both knew the same - this is with us forever.
Marianne: We also kissed each other that evening. After that we were almost inseparable for fourteen days. Then he moved straight to me, with my parents, where I still lived at that time.
What changes in love when you're together for so long?
Marianne: You become more patient, accept or even love the mistakes. Michael knows: With my sense of order, I have problems, I never find the keys, never my cell phone - it's just gone again. I'm a bit headless sometimes.
But not at work: In autumn comes your new album.
Michael: Yeah, we're going back to the studio next week. It's about values, about joie de vivre, the songs go well with us. But there will also be some thoughtful pieces.
Marianne: We have processed sad experiences in it, like the death of the parents. As you mature, you realize that the measuring tape is not so long anymore, you lose friends of the same age, or you suddenly become seriously ill. Suddenly, you also study obituaries. That did not interest me earlier.
Serious is also your commitment to disadvantaged children, which later enable a good school graduation.
Michael: Yes, that's what I'm working on, through the Lions Club. This is very important to me. I grew up very poor myself, we really did not have much.
You lost your TV programs a few years ago - can you see this change positively today?
Michael: Well, we were like the hamster back then, we did not look to the left and right because of all the work.
Marianne: Well, it has brought a lot for us as a couple, we enjoy the time we have today for each other. It is a new life, with which we are very happy. And we never wanted to do dirty laundry, we always said: We are grateful for the great success we had. And now we start slowly!
