Howard Carpendale's Real Name: Howard Victor Carpendale

Quick answer: Howard Carpendale's real name is Howard Victor Carpendale. He was born on January 14, 1946, in Durban, South Africa, and built his career as a German-language Schlager and pop singer. He is often nicknamed Howie (AllMusic; Universal Music DE; LOC-style bios / Wikipedia DE summaries).

From Durban to Electrola

Carpendale worked early on as an Elvis-style entertainer before moving to Europe in the mid-1960s. After time in the UK he settled in Germany, signing with Electrola. An early German-chart success was a cover of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." He then became one of the durable voices of German mainstream pop through the 1970s and 1980s (AllMusic).

Signature hits

German audiences especially associate him with:

• "Ti Amo" (German-language hit version of the Umberto Tozzi song)
• "Hello Again" (1984) — a platinum-level single that remains a karaoke and oldies staple
• Ballads and soft-rock Schlager that filled arenas and TV variety shows

He announced a retirement in the early 2000s, then returned to recording and touring, proving demand had not faded. Official lifelines from Universal Music Germany document a multi-decade catalog and family life in Germany (Universal Music DE lifelines).

Personal life

He was previously married to Claudia Carpendale and later married Donnice Pierce (2018). He has two children. Despite South African birth he is culturally identified with the German Schlager scene and still tours German-speaking Europe.

Retirement, return and screen appearances

Carpendale stepped back from the spotlight in the early 2000s, then returned when demand for "Hello Again"-era nostalgia and new adult-contemporary material proved strong. He has appeared in German television films and documentaries about his life, reinforcing a public image as a South African who became a fixture of German entertainment. Live tours in the 2010s and 2020s still bill "Hello Again" as a nightly highlight while mixing newer songs into the set.

Name note for searchers

Unlike many Schlager colleagues, Carpendale did not invent a fantasy stage surname — Howard Victor Carpendale is his birth name. The "real name" interest usually comes from German fans curious whether the South African-born star Germanized a different legal identity; public bios from Universal Music and AllMusic say he did not.