Biografia
In 1967, the musician founded his first rock band, "Birth Control." What began as a hobby soon became a career for Balder, who made a living as a drummer, lyricist, and composer, securing several record deals along the way. However, his first hit came in 1985 with "Erna Comes." Beyond music, Balder had a passion for theater. After briefly studying graphics and art, he completed a three-year training program at Else Bogner's acting school in Berlin. Between 1973 and 1979, he performed various roles at the Berlin Schiller Theater.
Finding classical theater too serious over time, he transitioned to cabaret. From 1985 to 1988, he appeared alongside Harald Schmidt in Düsseldorf's "Kom(m)ödchen," where he was part of the ensemble. Starting in 1979, Balder also worked as a radio presenter on "Radio Luxemburg" (RTL), hosting popular shows such as "Mahlzeit" and "Casino Parade" until 1990. He then moved from radio to television, acting in several TV films and cinema productions. His first TV entertainment show aired in 1982 on ZDF, where he voiced the dog Feldmann in "Vorsicht Musik," alongside Frank Zander.
In 1988, Balder co-hosted "Alles, Nicht, Oder?" with Hella von Sinnen, a show notable for von Sinnen's eccentric costumes and a concluding cake fight. This was quickly followed by "Tutti Frutti," which debuted on German television on January 21, 1990, sparking widespread discussion and drawing up to four million regular viewers. From 1993 onward, Balder expanded into producing, working on RTL's "Saturday Night" and Frank Elstner's entertainment show "April, April."
Balder made his directorial debut in 1997 with the TV film "Silvia's Belly." Since January 2003, he has hosted the comedy show "Genial Neben" on Sat.1, while also serving as a jury member for the casting show "Star Search," which returned for a second season in 2004. At the NEO Awards in 2004, he received the prize for "Best Comedy Website." Shortly after, "Genial Neben" won the "German Television Prize" for "Best Entertainment Program/Best Moderation Entertainment." In October 2005, Balder co-hosted the "German Television Prize" ceremony with Anke Engelke.
In February 2006, he was honored with the Golden Camera award for "Best Television Entertainment." Beginning in 2008, Balder presented the musical casting show "I Tarzan, You Jane," which sought the lead roles for the German production of the musical.
