Richard Kruspe

Name: Richard Zven Kruspe
Date of birth: 24th Juni 1967
Place of birth: Wittenberg, Germany
Height: 1,76 m
Weight: 88 kg
Color of eyes: Blue
Natural hair color: Brown
Distinguishing marks: pierced ears; smokes
Place in group: Guitarist
Usual place on scene: On the front, on the right
Previous group: Orgasm Death Gimmicks (guitarist, vocalist)
EquipmentRammstein's Richard Kruspe

Richard Kruspe played in his old band Orgasm Death Gimmick. Divorced but re-married to actress Caren Bernstein on October 29th, 1999. One daughter, Khira Li Lindemann. No, she’s not related to Till Lindemann. Lindemann was the last name of Richard’s first wife, who was also Till’s first wife. Sven is his Christian name. Wrote the song Engel by himself. Did not get along well with his step-father. Loved Kiss when he was younger, but his step-father tore down his Kiss poster in his room and Richard put it back together and hung it back up. Very protective of his family. Smokes and drinks.

Lead guitarist and co-founder of German industrial band “Rammstein” along with drummer Christoph “Doom” Schneider.

Former member of Orgasm Death Gimmicks formed in the West after he escaped over the green border between Austria an Hungary.

Sometime in 2001 he moved from Berlin to New York, where he lived for almost 10 years. In 2011, by the time his third child was born, he had already moved back to Berlin.

Speaks fluent English.

Parents divorced while he was a child, mother remarried and he continued to live in his difficult childhood home with his brother and two sisters.

Daughter: Khira Li Lindemann (b. 1992)

He was born in Wittenburg, Germany. He has two older sisters and an older brother. His parents divorced when he was young. His mother remarried, and he did not get along with his step-father. They moved to the village of Weisen when he was young.

As a child, Kruspe was a fan of Kiss. According to him, Kiss ‘represented capitalism in its purest sense, and every child was Kiss infected because they were so big. Kids wrote Kiss on their notebooks, and if the teachers saw it they could get kicked out of school just for having it written on their books.’ When he was twelve, he had a Kiss poster in his room, but his step-father tore it down and destroyed it, and Richard was up all night putting it back together.

Richard was a wrestler as a teenager.

At the age of sixteen, Richard Kruspe and some friends visited Czechoslovakia, where he bought a guitar. He had originally planned to sell it, because they were very expensive and thought he could make a nice profit. However, once he got back to East Germany, a girl at a campground he was staying at asked him to play. He told her that he couldn’t play, but she kept insisting, and Kruspe got mad and starting strumming the strings. ‘The harder I played,’ Richard said, ‘the more excited she got. Something clicked in my head and I realized girls like guys who play guitars.’ This got him interested in playing the guitar, and as a result, he began playing every day and night for the next two years.

At the age of nineteen, bored with the apathetic music scene in his home town, he moved to East Berlin and lived on the Lychener Straße and “made music all day’. For two years, Richard lived in an apartment with a drum kit and a guitar, and he made music by himself because he did not know anybody there. ‘It was a lonely time’ according to Kruspe, but he used it to explore music.

On 10 October 1989, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, he was riding through the subway. When he came above ground, Richard found himself in the middle of a political demonstration. He was hit on the head and arrested just for being there, and thrown in jail for six days. Once out of jail, he decided to leave East Germany. In those days, one couldn’t just leave East Germany, so he entered West Germany through Czechoslovakia. When the wall came down, he moved back east.

Around 1991, Richard started the band Orgasm Death Gimmick.

In 1992 or 1993, his daughter, Khira Li Lindemann, was born. She is the daughter of Till Lindemann’s ex-wife.

In this year, Richard made his first trip to the USA with Till Lindemann and Oliver Riedel. He realizes that he doesn’t want to make American music and concentrates on creating a unique German sound.

The band Rammstein was “born” in January of 1994 when Till, Ollie, Christoph Schneider and Richard won a Berlin Music Competition, the prize of which was a professional demo or four songs, presumably to get them a record deal. They asked Paul Landers and Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz of Feeling B to join them. Flake was the last to join. After that, the group began work on their first album, Herzeleid.

Richard married South African actress Caron Bernstein in 1999. The ceremony was Jewish and Richard composed the music for it. Richard took on the named Richard Kruspe-Bernstein during their marriage. They are believed to have divorced sometime in 2003 or 2004.

Richard began work on a solo project around this time, called Emigrate and work continues on it to this day. He has said he wants to record an album in 2005. No other Rammstein band members are involved.

Personal

He speaks excellent English with a strong American accent. Richard Kruspe is always immaculately dressed.

He lost a large ornate ring while on tour in 2001; it has never been found. One of the more unusual (but ever-increasing) characteristics are his painted fingernails.

When asked if he believes in God, Richard says, “No. I believe in life justice, that everything that you do, you get back. It’s justice and it’s what I believe in.” Still, he is spiritual saying he “practices the 5 Tibetan rejuvenating rites each day.”

Richard likes Kiss, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Big Black, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Suicidal Tendencies, and Pantera. He has worked as a cashier and a salesman, and cleaning the apartment for an older woman who had her pet poodles stuffed (one for every year).

Richard Kruspe

124 COMMENTS

  1. Was at the Newcastle gig last week. Awesome is just too weak a word. Perfection.
    Richard is a true performer, as are the whole band.

  2. I have just registered on this site and wanted to say how much i love Rammstein and Richard in particular. I was the first to get tickets for the 02 in London on Feb 24th next year and cant wait, the next 7 months are going to drag. I listen to their music and watch DVDs every day (sad i know) and i am really looking forward to talking to you guys and sharing thoughts about the best band in the world.

  3. Does anyone know when Richards baby is due? Wow if only i was having his baby he is so so sexy.
    Anyway good luck and i hope all goes well for him. Also very very happy birthday for June 25th to the sexiest 44yr old that ever lived.

  4. Wow, wow, wow, wow!!!!!
    Loooooove you!!
    Hottest, and best guitarist in the WORLD!!
    Couldn’t live without you!
    I just missed you at the Big Day Out In Sydney 🙁
    PLEASE come back before the band parts, I’d do ANYTHING to see you!
    May be MUCH older than me, but never could anyone change my mind about you.
    Your MINDBLOWING!!
    i listen to Emigrate and Rammstein EVERY night before i sleep, knowing that your music is THE BEST!

    Why couldnt you be interviewed by tipple J insted of Flake or Oli? At last you can speak (And sing) English fluently.

    L.O.V.E You!!!!

    Please, Please, Please, Please come back to Australia, if not, Id go over seas just to see you play. Any day 🙂

    Live Long In Peace
    <3 you forever

  5. Richard Kruspe rocks! He’s my 2nd favorite guitar player ever! And my favorite Rammstein memeber. I mean, he made the band! Thank you Richard.

  6. People! Richard is just a mortal man just like you and me and don’t ask them here to tour wherever, because it tells you the band members don’t look at this site okay? and if they do i’m surprized because they would have better things to be doing other than looking at fan mail on the internet.

  7. richard i’m mongolian. Coming Rammstein into Mongolia is just a dream for me. But i’m a real fan of you. I really love rammstein. Rammstein is so cool band. Rammstein gives me energy and power. I listen to rammstein’s songs everytime. Actually i don’t wanna live in this fucking world. But i wanna meet Rammstein’s guys. It’s my aim of life. i’m gonna meet u in your next tour. good luck

  8. Richard is my Guitar Hero, he has the best riffs and it just brings me to an awe when I see him play.

  9. Before I forget it:

    Happy birthday Richard! 😀
    42 is no age for a good-looking man like you! 😛

    I hate myself for being a fan-girl sometimes.. But WTF, I can’t help it! xD

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