Johnny Lion | |
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![]() Johnny Lion and Sophie van Kleef (1966) | |
Background information | |
Birth name | John van Leeuwarden |
Also known as | Johnny Lion |
Born | The Hague, Netherlands | 4 July 1941
Died | 31 January 2019 Breda, Netherlands | (aged 77)
Labels | Philips Records, EMI |
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".
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 translation of 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]