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Dutch singer, journalist, and actor (1941–2019) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John van Leeuwarden (4 July 1941 – 31 January 2019), who recorded under the name Johnny Lion, was a Dutch singer, journalist and actor. His best known song as a solo artist was his hit single "Sophietje". He also recorded with The Jumping Jewels and had a few hit songs including "Wheels"", "Africa" and "Irish Washerwoman".
Johnny Lion | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 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 |
Lion started his musical career in 1959 as singer of Johnny and his Jewels, later named The Jumping Jewels.[1] The Jumping Jewels had a number-one hit single in the Netherlands with the instrumental "Wheels" in 1961,[2] as well as top 10 hits with "Africa" (No. 8) in 1963 and "Irish Washerwoman" / "Java" (No. 9) in 1964.[3]
Lion left the band in 1965 to focus on a solo career. He had two hit singles: "Sophietje" (No. 5) in 1965 and "Tjingeling" (No. 14) in 1966.[1] Sophietje was a Dutch adaptation of the Swedish song "Fröken Fräken" and dedicated to Lion's then-girlfriend Sophie van Kleef.[4] He had two further minor hits in the 1980s, first the title song of the 1983 film Brandende liefde, and "Alleen in Dallas" in 1988.[1]
He also collaborated with Rob de Nijs in Circus Boltini. Boltini was Lion's second wife Mariska Akkerman's uncle.
In the 1990s he wrote columns for weekly-magazine Panorama.[1]
Lion acted in the 1998 film Siberia and in 2003 he had a minor role in Van God Los.[5]
He was married twice. Lion suffered from Alzheimer's disease and lung cancer in his final years,[6] and died in January 2019.[7]
With The Jumping Jewels
As a solo artist
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD (Single Top 100) [9] |
NLD (Dutch Top 40) [10] | |||
| 1965 | "Sophietje" | 4 | 5 | |
| 1966 | "Tjingeling" | 15 | 14 | |
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