Most notable for his time on Baywatch in the 90s, David Hasselhoff, or The Hoff, is a name famous all over the world. In 2017, he reappeared in the public consciousness in the film version of Baywatch along with Dwayne Johnson and Zach Efron, playing the same role he had played decades before as Mitch Buchannon. What some viewers of the film and show may not know is that Hasslehoff has a successful music career behind him, and in this article, we're going to take a closer look at his second job as a musician.
Life as a Judge
One clue to Hasslehoff's music career is the time he spent as a judge sitting alongside Simon Cowell on one of the country's most popular reality shows, Britain's Got Talent. The popularity of which saw it not only spawn spin-offs in over 60 countries but crossover into other types of entertainment too. For example, Slingo Britain's Got Talent appears in the slots and games section of the online casino Buzz Bingo. It allows users to play a BGT-themed game complete with joker bonuses and free spins. While the television hit has also been released as a board game. For Hasselhoff, it was just a short-term position, and he left after one year on the show, having spent three years working on the show's American iteration. But what about his own career in the music industry?
Success in Europe
For Hasselhoff, the 80s and 90s were mostly spent working on the hit television shows 'Knight Rider' and 'Baywatch'; however, it was during these years that he experienced some musical success too. In the late 1980s, he had his first hit, 'Looking for Freedom', which reached the top of the charts in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. This turned out to be the turning point in his career, and he went on to enjoy a decade of success in these countries, releasing several albums and performing in Europe throughout the 1990s.
One clue to Hasslehoff's music career is the time he spent as a judge sitting alongside Simon Cowell on one of the country's most popular reality shows, Britain's Got Talent. The popularity of which saw it not only spawn spin-offs in over 60 countries but crossover into other types of entertainment too. For example, Slingo Britain's Got Talent appears in the slots and games section of the online casino Buzz Bingo. It allows users to play a BGT-themed game complete with joker bonuses and free spins. While the television hit has also been released as a board game. For Hasselhoff, it was just a short-term position, and he left after one year on the show, having spent three years working on the show's American iteration. But what about his own career in the music industry?
Success in Europe
For Hasselhoff, the 80s and 90s were mostly spent working on the hit television shows 'Knight Rider' and 'Baywatch'; however, it was during these years that he experienced some musical success too. In the late 1980s, he had his first hit, 'Looking for Freedom', which reached the top of the charts in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. This turned out to be the turning point in his career, and he went on to enjoy a decade of success in these countries, releasing several albums and performing in Europe throughout the 1990s.
While in the UK, he became somewhat of a cult figure. In 2006, on the back of a publicly run campaign to get The Hoff to number one in the charts and backed by some popular DJs, Hasselhoff placed at number three, with a re-release of 'Looking for Freedom'. Years later, having grown up dreaming of acting on Broadway, he got to achieve the next best thing; working on the West End performing in the musical 'Chicago' for three months in 2000.
His Reputation Stateside
Despite success in Europe, The Hoff never made the breakthrough at home. He went through long periods without releasing albums in the US, and when he did, such as his self-titled greatest hits album in the mid-90s, they flopped, not even reaching the charts. The success of the small screen never transferred to the charts. If fellow Britain's Got Talent judge, singer Tom Jones, is anything to go by, Hasselhoff could remain active in the public arena for a few years to come.
His Reputation Stateside
Despite success in Europe, The Hoff never made the breakthrough at home. He went through long periods without releasing albums in the US, and when he did, such as his self-titled greatest hits album in the mid-90s, they flopped, not even reaching the charts. The success of the small screen never transferred to the charts. If fellow Britain's Got Talent judge, singer Tom Jones, is anything to go by, Hasselhoff could remain active in the public arena for a few years to come.
With the singer now in his 70s, it remains to be seen what comes next. He has shown no signs of retiring and has continued releasing music up until 2020 releasing his first heavy metal number.
