Steve Bender (59), former member of the band Dschinghis Khan, which represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979, died last Sunday from cancer. Besides being a part of the successful German group, Bender worked as a musician, bandleader and producer. He leaves a wife and daughter Melanie, who also represented Germany in 1994 as part of the girlgroup Mekado ('Wir geben 'ne Party').

Steve Bender was the "bald-headed guy" in Dschinghis Khan, the first-ever group that was especially formed for Eurovision by German composer Ralph Siegel (who also wrote 'Wir geben 'ne Party' for Mekado). After their 4th place at the Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem, the band enjoyed worldwide success with hits like 'Moskau', 'Rom' or 'Hadschi Halef Omar'. Steve Bender also worked as a singer, enjoying a top ten hit in the US in 1977 with 'The final Thing', and as a composer and producer for his daughter Melanie.