Ex-SCORPIONS Bassist FRANCIS BUCHHOLZ Dead At 71

Francis Buchholz, the original Scorpions bassist whose steady, melodic playing helped propel the German hard rock giants to global superstardom, has died at the age of 71. His family confirmed that Buchholz passed away peacefully yesterday following a private battle with cancer.

Buchholz joined Scorpions in 1973, becoming a cornerstone of what many fans consider the band's most definitive lineup. Across the 1970s and 1980s, his precise yet powerful bass work formed the rhythmic backbone of Scorpions' sound — a balance of high-octane hard rock and emotionally charged power ballads that defined an era.

His playing is immortalized on some of the band's most enduring anthems, including "Rock You Like A Hurricane," "Still Loving You," and "Wind Of Change." The latter became an unofficial soundtrack to the fall of the Berlin Wall and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. During Buchholz's tenure, Scorpions sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, earning him over 50 gold and platinum awards for his role in shaping rock history.

In 1992, shortly after the band reached a commercial high point with Crazy World, Buchholz made the life-changing decision to step away from Scorpions. The move came shortly after the birth of his twin daughters, as he chose family life over the relentless pace of international touring.

"Our hearts are shattered," his family said in a joint statement. "Throughout his fight with cancer, we stayed by his side, facing every challenge as a family — exactly the way he taught us. He was a family man through and through, and our grief is beyond words."

Though he left the spotlight, Buchholz never left music entirely. He later worked as a music consultant before returning to the stage in a celebrated second chapter of his career, most notably with Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock. The project reunited him with former Scorpions bandmates Michael Schenker and Herman Rarebell, bringing their shared legacy to audiences across Europe, North America, South America and Japan