Reinhard Mey
Serious blow of fate! The early death of his son
© Funke Photo Services / imago images
Reinhard Mey is storming the album charts with his new album “Nach Haus” – ten years after the death of his son Maximilian.
Reinhard Mey: Son Maximilian contracted pneumonia and fell into a vegetative state
In 2009, Reinhard Mey’s son contracted pneumonia, collapsed and fell into a vegetative state. The musical legend spoke about this for the first time in the fall of 2009 on Reinhold Beckmann’s, 68, talk show. At that time, Mey described it according to “Welt”: “It turned out that he had severe pneumonia with three different germs.”
The doctors then “carried out all sorts of tests to look for the cause: They checked whether any pollutants, drugs, alcohol or anything like that could have been involved, but there were zero drugs, zero alcohol.” Reinhard Mey woke up at his son’s bedside, played him songs, dedicated the song “Drachenblut” to him, in which he sings: “Just a blink of an eye, a moment, a sign remains, and the determination to love you back into the world.”
© dpa / Ossinger / Picture Alliance
Maximilian Mey died ten years ago: “The pain of the loss remains”
In May 2014, the family’s lawyer announced that Maximilian Mey had died at the age of 32. “Maximilian Mey died a few days ago after endlessly bravely enduring suffering surrounded by his family,” the statement said, according to “Welt”.
In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” (FAS) in 2020, Reinhard Mey said that “the pain of the loss will always be there,” but also the many beautiful memories, “the thoughts of him, the pictures, the laughter.”
“I think I would just squeeze him the whole time”
Mey is also sure that if there were a heaven, Max would be sitting “up there” and “laughing his head off at us a lot.” Reinhard Mey also revealed what he would do again if he were given half an hour of time with his son Maximilian: “I think I would just hug him the whole time.”
© Ralf Mueller / Picture Alliance
Maximilian came from Mey’s marriage to his wife Hella; they have been married since 1977. The couple has two other children: Victoria-Luise (born 1985) and Frederik (born 1976). This is Reinhard Mey’s second marriage; from 1967 to 1976 he was in a relationship with the Frenchwoman Christine.
Sources used: officialcharts.de, welt.de, faz.net