The German tenor Rudolf Schock (1915–1986) was born in Duisberg and studied singing in Cologne and Hanover. His stage début was at Brunswick in 1937 but his singing career was interrupted by five years of military service. In 1946 he was engaged by the Staatsoper in Berlin and Hamburg, remaining with the latter until 1956. His Salzburg Festival début was in 1948, followed by two seasons at Covent Garden (1949–50) where his rôles included Rodolfo (La Bohème), Alfredo (La traviata), Tamino, Pinkerton and The Olympians (Bliss).

In 1951 he joined the Vienna State Opera and the following year sang at the Edinburgh Festival. His Bayreuth début was as Walther von Stolzing in 1959, a rôle he had earlier recorded with Rudolf Kempe. His later career was most successful in operetta, television and film. He recorded prolifically over a period of almost thirty years, including Lohengrin, Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, and Max in Der Freischütz, in addition to operettas by Johann Strauss and Lehár, lieder and popular song. He was generally considered the successor to Richard Tauber.