Manni Schmidt

Manfred "Manni" Schmidt (born 27 November 1964 in Andernach, Germany) is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter, best known for having been a member of Grave Digger and Rage.

Schmidt begun his career starting his own band Factor 6. However, the heavy metal band Rage had noticed Schmidt and his skills with the guitar, so in 1987 he was asked to become a member of that band. He joined and become a member of the trio and released many albums with them. In 1994 he quit the band. His first son was born in 1997, the 2nd in 2003.

In 2000 another door was opened for him, when guitarist Uwe Lulis left German heavy metal band, Grave Digger, their bassist Jens Becker suggested Schmidt as a replacement, remained with them until October 2009.

Apart from these two bigger and more famous bands, he has also played with bands like Jack of Hearts and Vötka.

In the late springtime 2010, Manni Schmidt formed his own band Capital Joke and is still writing and working on songs for the debut album.

With Rage

• Perfect Man (1988)
• Invisible Horizons (Single) (1989)
• Secrets in a Weird World (1989)
• Reflections of a Shadow (1990)
• Extended Power (EP) (1991)
• Beyond the Wall (EP) (1992)
• Trapped! (1992)
• Refuge (Japan) (1993)
• The Missing Link (1993)
• The Video Link (1994)

With Jack of Hearts

• Welcome To Heartland [Demo] (1993)

With Grave Digger

• The Grave Digger (2001)
• Tunes of Wacken [Live CD + DVD] (2002)
• Rheingold (2003)
• The Last Supper (2005)
• 25 To Live [Live CD + DVD] (2005)
• Yesterday (EP) (2006)
• Silent Revolution - Single (2006)
• Liberty or Death (2007)
• Pray (EP) (2008)
• Ballads of a Hangman (2009)