Johnny Lion
Johnny Lion | |
|---|---|
 Johnny Lion and Sophie van Kleef (1966) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John van Leeuwarden |
| Also known as | Johnny Lion |
| Born | 4 July 1941 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Died | 31 January 2019 (aged 77) Breda, Netherlands |
| Labels | Philips Records, EMI |
| Associated acts | The Jumping Jewels, Rob de Nijs, Ramses Shaffy |
Johnny Lion (born John van Leeuwarden; 4 July 1941 – 31 January 2019), was a Dutch singer, journalist and actor, best known for his hit single "Sophietje".
Musical career[]
Lion started his musical career as singer of Johnny and his Jewels, later named The Jumping Jewels. They had a number-one hitsingle in the Netherlands with Wheels in 1961.[1] He left the band in 1965 to focus on a solo career and subsequently delivered hitsingles Sophietje, Tjingeling and Alleen in Dallas. Sophietje was a Dutch translation of Swedish song Fröken Fräken and dedicated to Lion's then-girlfriend Sophie van Kleef.[2]
He also collaborated with Rob de Nijs in Circus Boltini. Boltini was Lion's second wife Mariska Akkerman's uncle.
Journalism[]
In the 1990s he wrote columns for weekly-magazine .
Acting[]
Lion acted in the 1998 film Siberia and in 2003 he had a minor role in Van God Los.[3]
Personal life[]
He was married twice. Lion was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and lung cancer[4] and died in January 2019.[5]
References[]
- ^ nos.nl; Zanger Johnny Lion van 'Sophietje' overleden, (in Dutch)
- ^ bndestem.nl; Johnny Lion (1941–2019) was liever anoniem in de Bredase Belcrum dan een popidool, BN De Stem (in Dutch)
- ^ NFF Bio – Filmfestival (in Dutch)
- ^ omroepbrabant.nl; De zanger van 'Sophietje' is stervende: 'Johnny Lion is aimabel en bescheiden mens, – Omroep Brabant (in Dutch)
- ^ telegraaf.nl Archived 2 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine; Johnny Lion (77) overleden] – Telegraaf (in Dutch)
External links[]
- Johnny Lion at IMDb
- Bio – Muziekencyclopedie (in Dutch)
- 1941 births
- 2019 deaths
- Musicians from The Hague
- Dutch male singers
- 20th-century Dutch singers
- Dutch male actors
- Dutch journalists
- Deaths from lung cancer
- Deaths from cancer in the Netherlands
- 20th-century male singers