Activist, composer, and actor Hubert von Goisern was best known for hits like "Heast as Nit," "Koa Hiatamadl," and "Weit, Weit Weg" during his stint as lead singer of Die Alpinkatzen. Born and raised in Austria, he formed Die Alpinkatzen with Wolfgang Staribacher in 1986. Honing a blend of synthy Euro-pop with traditional Austrian folk music elements (yodeling chief among them), the group became immensely popular in Germany and Austria. His first solo effort, Fön, came out in 2000; the album did well on the charts, and von Goisern found himself once again performing for sold-out audiences throughout Central Europe. A traditional Austrian folk album, Trad, followed soon after, and von Goisern won an Amadeus Award for it in 2001.