Wolfsgraben, Austria

March 19, 1952

An Austrian singer/songwriter and AustroPop pioneer, Wolfgang Ambros became a folk-rock staple in his homeland both for his original tunes and his covers (the work of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits chief among them). Ambros sailed into the limelight in 1971 with the breakthrough single "Da Hofer," and went on to release over 30 albums over the course of the next three decades. Ambros was perhaps best known for "Schifoan," a song that went on to become more or less synonymous with the sport of skiing in his homeland. The folk-rocker continued releasing albums and touring well into the early 2000s. ~ Margaret Reges