German singer Ivan Rebroff, who was known around the world for popularising Russian songs, has died at the age of 76 in Frankfurt after a long illness, his agents said on Thursday.
Born Hans-Rolf Rippert in Berlin in 1931, Rebroff became renowned for his vocal range of four and half octaves and sang opera, light classics and folk.
He was of Russian origin and played up his roots in his costumes and choice of material, which included Russian standards like "Kalinka" and "Midnight in Moscow".
Rebroff first shot to fame in 1968 when he starred as Tevjo in the musical "Fiddler On The Roof" in Paris. The show ran for two years and his agent said he sang the role 1,476 times in his career.
He performed his last concert in Vienna on December before retiring for health reasons.