George Nußbaumer

George Nußbaumer is an Austrian soul and gospel singer, pianist, and composer. Born on 23 May 1963 in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg, he has been blind since birth. Despite this, he built one of the most distinctive voices in Austrian music. 

Early Life and First Steps in Music

George grew up in Dornbirn-Rohrbach with four siblings. He describes his childhood as “unconditionally happy.” As a young boy, he already knew he wanted to become a musician. However, his path was not straight. He spent time at a boarding school in Switzerland, where he secretly listened to the radio and developed a strong love for language and music. At 16, he first played in a band called “The Asphalt Blues Company” in Bern. Afterwards, at 18, he moved to Vienna to train as a therapeutic masseur. A friend gave him his first piano there, and from that moment on, music became his main goal.

The 1980s: First Singles and Early Gigs

During the 1980s, George worked hard to break into the music scene. He entered a competition that offered a studio-recorded single as its first prize… and he won. That led to his debut single, Love Me Pretty Woman, released in 1984. He played in Vienna venues and on small stages, slowly building his name. Around this time, he also briefly joined a Danish soul band, though financial challenges kept that project from fully taking off. Nevertheless, George kept performing and writing, driven by a clear passion for soul, blues, and gospel music.

Building a Discography in the 1990s

In 1992, George released his first full album, Voices Live, with the help of sponsors. It was a self-produced project that quickly found an audience. The following year, he released his second album, You Know What I Mean? (1993), which further grew his fan base. In 1996, he represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with the Vorarlberg dialect song Weil’s dr guat got, finishing in 10th place. Notably, he became the first artist in Eurovision history to perform successfully in a regional German dialect. That same year, he released his third album, Crazy But I Do. In 1999, he followed up with The Love Within.

Sharing Stages with Legends

During the late 1990s, George’s career reached new heights. He performed not only in solo concerts but also as a support act for some of the biggest names in soul and blues. These included Joe Cocker, B.B. King, Willy DeVille, and Dr. John. Sharing stages with these icons showed just how seriously the international music world took his talent. Meanwhile, he also began working as a music producer, adding another skill to his already impressive range.

Radio, Trio, and New Directions

In 1999, George started hosting his own radio show on Antenne Vorarlberg, focused entirely on soul and blues. Through the show, he met guitarist Bernie Weber. Together with bassist Markus Kreil, they formed the trio Nussbaumer – Weber und Kreil. In 2000, the group released The Alwyn Sessions, their debut album together. George found the trio format so creatively fulfilling that he chose to put his solo career on hold to focus fully on the group. The three musicians covered songs by Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Tom Waits, and Willy DeVille, while also performing original material.

Kabarett, Collaborations, and Recent Work

George’s creativity extended well beyond music. He co-wrote and performed a comedy theatre programme with playwright Stefan Vögel, which ran for an impressive 186 shows. He also joined the Randy Newman Project alongside Manfred Maurenbrecher and Richard Wester, broadening his artistic reach further. In January 2021, the George Nussbaumer Band released Did Anybody Say It Would Be Easy, his most personal album to date. It features only original compositions, with lyrics by Ina Wolf, and blends soul, blues, and funk. Due to the pandemic, the album launch took place as a livestream on ORF Vorarlberg. In total, George has released nine albums across his career.

Awards and Legacy

In 2018, George received the Toni-Russ-Preis, a respected Austrian music award. Then, in 2024, he received the Sound@V Lifetime Achievement Award at the Poolbar Festival in Feldkirch, recognising over four decades of performing on international stages. Today, George Nußbaumer lives in Alberschwende in the Bregenzerwald region of Vorarlberg. He continues to perform, collaborate, and create, a true testament to a life lived through music.