Ralph Siegel, the 80-year-old German schlager composer and Eurovision legend, lies in a medically induced coma at a Munich hospital after contracting severe pneumonia during a stay in Spain.
Despite the gravity of his condition, doctors report encouraging signs: Siegel is breathing independently and responds to music — particularly his own hits — as well as to touch from his wife, Laura. Physicians hope to bring him out of the coma later this week. His daughter Giulia Siegel said the family looks to the coming days with confidence.
Siegel has overcome prostate cancer four times and lives with polyneuropathy. Fellow schlager singer Nicole wished him strength while declining to comment publicly out of respect for his family.