SO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS MOM WOULD BE CALLED?:

How Germany loves the bearded balladeer (Colin Freeman and Tony Paterson, GMT 02/12/2007, Daily Telegraph)

With his singing, whistling and acoustic guitar, he was as big a name in light entertainment as The Two Ronnies and Des O'Connor. Now, three decades after he crooned his way to the top of the easy-listening world, an evening with Roger Whittaker is once again about to be a highlight on the festive television schedules.

The bearded balladeer, however, is not the latest ratings weapon for the BBC or ITV - nor will Durham Town or New World in the Morning necessarily get his biggest cheers. Instead, his audience may hope for the likes of Du warst mein schönster Traum, (You are my most beautiful dream) and Leben mit Dir (Loving with You) - just two of the hits he has enjoyed since becoming an unexpected star in Germany.

Roger Whittaker, how Germany loves the bearded balladeer
Roger Whittaker takes to the stage in Germany

While the 71-year-old's middle-of-the-road folk act no longer attracts much attention in Britain, he has proved in huge demand among fans of German schlager, an upbeat Nordic pop style frequently showcased on the likes of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Such is his popularity that he will notch up no fewer than four separate appearances on German television between Christmas and New Year, culminating in the Krone der Volksmusik (Crown of Folk Music) show live on ARD, Germany's answer to BBC1, on January 1.

The man known as the Mexican Whistler has, though, made one key innovation - he now sings mainly in German.