TV icon Peter Alexander dies aged 84
Peter Alexander, one of the greatest entertainers in German-speaking Europe, died at the age of 84 in Vienna at the weekend.The Austrian singer and actor passed away on Saturday, his spokeswoman Erika Swatosch said yesterday (Sun).Alexander born Peter Alexander Neumayer starred in more than 50 films and hosted dozens of TV shows. He recorded over 100 albums.The entertainer hardly ever appeared at any events after the death of his wife Hilde in 2003, and withdrew from life in public completely after his daughter was killed in a traffic accident in Thailand two years ago.Alexander vehemently dismissed a screen comeback in the past few years, stressing that todays movies have become “brutal, filthy and cheap.”Musical legend Dagmar Koller praised her deceased colleague as an “entertainment genius”. She added: “He was also very kind and humble.”Social Democratic (SPÖ) Culture Minister Claudia Schmied lauded Alexander as a “pioneer of TV entertainment”.