R.I.P. last living president of the "old" federal republic (i.e. before the reunification with East Germany).
What most people remember about Scheel is this curiosity: He recorded the German folk song "Hoch auf dem gelben Wagen", which was released as a single in 1973, when he was minister of foreign affairs. Scheel supported a charitable organization for the disabled with the proceeds of the record sales. Scheel's version of "Hoch auf dem gelben Wagen" peaked at number 5 on the German singles chart in January 1974, four months before he was elected president. Until the spring of 1974, more than 300,000 copies were sold. That contributed significantly to Scheel's image as a folksy, upbeat kind of guy.
A clip of Scheel performing "Hoch auf dem gelben Wagen" on a TV show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3HvMnYnGcA
