Rudolf Schenker , born 31 August 1948, Hildesheim, Lower Saxony is a German guitarist and founding member of heavy metal band Scorpions, being the rhythm/lead guitarist and one of the main song writers of the band.
Rudolf Schenker founded the Scorpions in 1965 when he was 17 years old. He has become one of the major driving forces in the band’s song-writing and musical direction for 40-plus years. In 2010, Scorpions announced that their newest album, Sting in the Tail, would be their last. The tour that supports the album, Get Your Sting And Blackout World Tour, was thought to be their last, however they had a their farewell tour called “The Final Sting Tour” that concluded in Munich on December 17, 2012. Rudolf has been the Scorpion’s most consistent member, appearing on every album and at every tour. His younger brother Michael Schenker was a member of Scorpions in the band’s earliest inception, before joining the band UFO. In the year 2000 Rudolf Schenker was awarded the city of Hanover plaque. and the Cross of Merit First Class (Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse) of the Lower Saxony Order of Merit.