Der W is an alias of Stephan Weidner, a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer who led the German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz for several decades. Founded in 1980 as a punk band, Böhse Onkelz released well over a dozen albums and proved very popular -- as well as controversial, because of its right-wing themes -- over the years, topping the German albums chart multiple times. After breaking up Böhse Onkelz in 2005, Weidner (born on May 29, 1963, in Alsfeld, Hesse, Germany) made his recording debut as Der W in 2008 with the full-length Schneller - Höher - Weidner. The album was a massive hit in Germany, charting at number two and spawning the number five hit single "Geschichtenhasser"; though less popular in Austria and Switzerland, the album charted in those neighboring countries as well. Weidner returned with the follow up Autonomie! in 2010, and with successful tours under his belt, the third Der W album, III was released in 2012. ~ Jason Birchmeier