Overview

• ZDF aired a special Giovanni Zarrella Show from Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle on 20 September dedicated to a career-spanning salute to Howard Carpendale.
• Carpendale was visibly moved, especially following a tribute from his son Wayne, who reflected on their shared memories and expressed pride.
• Jürgen Drews appeared for a duet and revealed he narrowly missed the US Top 40 and would have stayed in America had he succeeded, framing it as a decisive near-miss.
• A cross-generational lineup including Kerstin Ott, Beatrice Egli, Paul Young, Alexander Klaws, Sasha, Ben Zucker and Wencke Myhre performed in his honor.
• The broadcast serves as a prelude to Carpendale’s 80th birthday in January 2026, with the full episode available in the ZDF-Mediathek.