A park in Vienna was yesterday (Weds) renamed after late jazz and world music
legend Joe Zawinul.


Vienna Mayor Michael Häupl personally attended the ceremony at the park in
Landstraße district which had previously been called Klopsteinplatz.


Zawinul grew up in the district and was the best school friend of late Austrian
president Thomas Klestil before he left Austria to become a star in the US.


The park also now features a piano keyboard monument to the artist who had
international success with songs like "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy".


Zawinul died two years ago at the age of 75.


Zawinul's son Tony meanwhile plans to open a club called "Birdland" next year.


Last autumn, a venue of the same name founded by his father was closed after
going bankrupt.


The park renaming comes after Vienna officials earlier this week said a foot
bridge in the Stadtpark will be named after Thomas Bernhard - the controversial
Dutch-born novelist spent most of his life in Austria where he died aged 58 in
1989.


Meanwhile councillors have said streets at the new central station which is
currently being built will be named after comedian Gerhard Bronner,
mathematician Kurt Gödel and psychologist Alfred Adler.


A ceremony will take place tomorrow to officially rename a street in Donaustadt
district to Falcogasse in honour to pop singer Falco who died in a car crash in
1998. The Vienna-born musician's 1985 hit "Rock Me Amadeus" made him the only
Austrian to have topped the US charts. The song also topped the charts in
Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom.


Source: http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13721