Dieter Dierks (born 9 February 1943) is a German record producer, sound engineer, music publisher, studio owner and musician. He became well known as producer of the rock band Scorpions who were signed to him between 1975 and 1988. Before that time, he had already successfully established Hamburg-based band Atlantis in the US. Between 1969 and 1975, numerous albums of the "Krautrock" era were produced at Dierks Studio. From 1975 onwards, more and more international artists started booking his state-of-the art sound and TV studios. Personal life Dierks is the son of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father. The latter was an orchestra conductor, violinist, sax player and composer. His mother Ursula ran a grocery store. Dieter Dierks was married twice and has four children with four different women. His second wife, Corina Fortmann is the sister of Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann and for many years she was an instrumental part in building the "Dierks Empire". Their daughter, Dominique Schilling, works in Los Angeles as a film director and screenwriter. Dierks' oldest son, Michael Dierks, is an actor. His oldest daughter from his first marriage, Michaela Dierks, works as a TV and music promoter in Cologne. His youngest son, Julien Freundt, works as a sound engineer, composer, music producer and management assistant at his father's company. Dieter's mother Ursula, who was in charge of the studio catering, died in 1991. The beginning Initially, Dieter Dierks wanted to become a director. He studied theatre arts and afterwards went to a drama school. He worked as an assistant director to , Karl Fruchtmann, Jürgen Goslar and the former Burgtheater artistic director Gerhard Klingenberg. At the same period of time he also played guitar and bass in various rock bands and started setting up his own studios on his parents' premises in Stommeln. The first studio rooms were built in the attic of his parents' house. With his two re-vamped Revox amateur recording devices Dieter Dierks soon managed to attract many young, creative musicians. Again around that time Dierks formed the band "Hush" together with Tommy Engel who was then the drummer of Cologne-based band Tony Hendrik Five, and additional member Frieder Viehmann. In 1969 the band released the single "Oh! Darling/Schau mir in die Augen" (Bellaphon label #1112). The band's live appearances were known to be rather loud. Two years later Dierks built a large studio complex in the backyard of