Joe Bachmann is the one Brigitte Voss falls in love with Steve Lee's doppelganger
Brigitte Voss has found a new love after the tragic loss of her partner Steve Lee. Her new partner looks just like her late fiancé.
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- Brigitte Voss met Joe Bachmann through a post on Facebook.
- Joe Bachmann looks very similar to the late Gotthard singer Steve Lee. But for Brigitte, it's Joe's inner values that count.
- After Steve's death, Brigitte found solace in spirituality, traveled to India and got to know herself anew.
- Since their first meeting, Brigitte and Joe have been inseparable - a love that Brigitte feels supports Steve.
14 years ago, Brigitte Voss experienced what was probably the most difficult moment of her life. Her fiancé, Gotthard singer Steve Lee, died in a motorcycle accident in the USA - right in her arms. This tragic loss tore a deep hole in her life.
On August 5 this year, the day Steve Lee would have celebrated his 61st birthday, Brigitte Voss was not feeling well, as she told Schweizer Illustrierte: "I don't know why I was so sad again this year on Steve's birthday of all days. It's been 14 years since he died. I've felt better in recent years," she says.
In her grief, she sought distraction on social media. While scrolling through her cell phone, she tagged a picture on Facebook that a certain Joe Bachmann had posted. It showed Steve Lee at one of his concerts - as he does every year, Joe posted a picture on the Gotthard singer's birthday to remember him.
Fateful encounter
Joe Bachmann, a 69-year-old fan of Steve Lee, then thanked Brigitte for her sympathy. What began as a brief exchange soon developed into an intense connection. "This thank you felt so good that I poured my heart out to Joe afterwards. We wrote to each other the whole time. Later, we talked on the phone for hours," says Brigitte.
The two felt a deep connection - and Brigitte finally asked Joe what he looked like. To her surprise, she found out that the profile picture was not of Steve, but of Joe himself. "Unbelievable!" she thought, "but what really touched me were Joe's words."
They finally met for the first time on August 28, 2024. They arranged to meet at the St. Katharina freeway service station near Lucerne - close to Joe's home and away from prying eyes.
Bachmann had "always" looked like this
"We didn't want to meet in a restaurant, but somewhere where we wouldn't attract attention," explains Brigitte. "I was so excited! When I saw him, I was in tears." Joe was also moved: "I gave her a big hug and said: 'I'll never let you go now'."
Joe Bachmann wears his hair and beard in a similar way to Steve Lee and also has a similar (rocker) style of dress. But Brigitte emphasizes that it is not the outward resemblance that is the reason for her feelings. "I fell in love with his energy, his charisma and his character traits," she explains.
Joe himself knows, of course, that he looks like Steve Lee. However, he has always looked like him. There were times when he had to post an old photo of himself on Facebook at the age of 19 because outraged fans thought he was copying the late singer.
The road back to happiness
The loss of Steve Lee led Brigitte Voss into spirituality. After his death, she traveled to India, where she learned to meditate in depth. "It was only there that I felt myself again, my pain and my joy," she recalls.
Joe Bachmann also made a similar journey through spirituality. In 2009, he suffered a cardiac arrest and only just survived. "After this near-death experience, I changed my life and became more mindful," he explains. Since meeting at the rest stop, Brigitte and Joe have been inseparable.
