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Harry Pepl * 1945  † 2005
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Chronology

Life and work year by year. Every entry is documented; we welcome additions and corrections.

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1960s

  1. 1960

    The first guitar

    Vienna

    Pepl took up the guitar, at the age of 15 according to Kohler; in 1988 the Kleine Zeitung, a daily newspaper from Graz, put it at 13. He learned mainly by listening to records, including those of Tal Farlow and Johnny Smith.

    Education

  2. 1960

    Youth band with Blacky Brandstätter, Franz Handler and Karl Komarek

    Vienna

    Around 1960/61 the young Pepl plays guitar in a Viennese youth band with Blacky Brandstätter, Franz Handler and Karl Komarek, who later played with the Hubbubs; a photo from the estate shows the four with accordion, drums and guitar (names according to the family).

    Life

  3. 1960s

    Wes Montgomery becomes a role model

    Romania

    On a holiday in Romania, a bar-band guitarist showed him chords and recommended Wes Montgomery. Pepl learned Montgomery's solos by listening and transcribing, not through lessons.

    Education

  4. 1963

    Guitar studies with Karl Scheit

    Vienna

    Pepl studies classical guitar in Karl Scheit's class at the Vienna music academy; at the entrance examination he plays Mozart's “Turkish March” with a plectrum. The year 1963 is given in the obituary of the Kunstuniversität Graz (University of Music and Performing Arts Graz).

    Education

  5. 1964

    First record release: “Skinny Minny / Olymp”

    Vienna

    With the dance and beat band The Austrian Evergreens, the single “Skinny Minny / Olymp” is released on the Rex Roval label, recorded live on the stage of the Albert-Sever-Saal in Vienna-Ottakring, Austria, the later Star Club Wien (Vienna youth club). On the A-side Hannes Patek sings his signature tune from the Star Club; for the B-side Pepl composes, in next to no time, the instrumental “Olymp”, a hard-rocking piece in the style of the Shadows’ “Apache”. It is the earliest composition by Pepl documented on record.

    Recordings

  6. 1966

    The Austrian Evergreens

    Europe

    In the second half of the 1960s Pepl was the full-time guitarist of the dance and beat combo The Austrian Evergreens, whom the Kleine Zeitung, a daily newspaper from Graz, calls “Austrian Aces”. The band played hits, Beatles numbers and bossa nova and toured Europe; Pepl arranged for them.

    Ensembles

  7. 1 January 1967

    Member of the union for the arts and liberal professions

    Vienna

    On 1 January 1967, aged 21, Pepl joins the Austrian Trade Union Federation, union for the arts and liberal professions (Gewerkschaft Kunst und freie Berufe), musicians' section; the card gives his profession as „Musiker“ [“musician”].

    Life