Overview
- SWR confirmed he died on Sunday in Esslingen, with director Kai Gniffke praising his creativity and presence behind the mic.
- Holtmann joined SDR in 1979, became music chief at SDR3 and later SWR3, and moved to SWR1 in 2005 after the SDR–SWF merger.
- He helped define hit programs such as 'Treff nach zwei' and 'Dr. Music', fronted SWR1's Baden-Württemberg Hitparade, and brought 'Pop & Poesie in Concert' to major stages.
- Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2009, he retired from presenting in 2015 and reflected on the illness and his career in the 2022 memoir 'Porsche, Pop und Parkinson'.
- A trusted interviewer of international stars including Harry Belafonte and the Spice Girls, he also made a final celebrated public appearance in May last year with a standing ovation.