Hans Michael Westerfeld, a self-styled Johnny West, wants to become an American-style rock star. To this end, he works as a roadie, one of the crew that takes care of the equipment during the German tour of the black American singing group called the Manhattans.

Munich, World War II: The young Kati Zeiler runs a small barbershop. Her husband Felix is ​​fighting on the Eastern Front. So Kati draws her daughter Marie alone. A bomb attack destroys the shop and the apartment.