Johnny Lion
{{Short description|Dutch singer, journalist, and actor (1941–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Johnny Lion
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Johnny Lion en Sophie van Kleef (1966).jpg
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| caption = Johnny Lion and Sophie van Kleef (1966)
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name = John van Leeuwarden
| alias = Johnny Lion
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1941|7|4}}
| birth_place = The Hague, Netherlands
| origin =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2019|01|31|1941|7|4}}
| death_place = Breda, Netherlands
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| label = Philips Records, EMI
| associated_acts = The Jumping Jewels, Rob de Nijs, Ramses Shaffy
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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".
Musical career
Lion started his musical career in 1959 as singer of Johnny and his Jewels, later named The Jumping Jewels. The Jumping Jewels had a number-one hit single in the Netherlands with the instrumental "Wheels" in 1961,{{cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2270006-zanger-johnny-lion-van-sophietje-overleden.html |work=nos.nl |title=Zanger Johnny Lion van 'Sophietje' overleden|date=February 2019 }}{{in lang|nl}} as well as top 10 hits with "Africa" (No. 8) in 1963 and "Irish Washerwoman" / "Java" (No. 9) in 1964.{{cite web |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?search=The%20Jumping%20Jewels.&cat=s |title=The Jumping Jewels |work=Dutch Charts }}
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. Sophietje was a Dutch adaptation of the Swedish song "Fröken Fräken" and dedicated to Lion's then-girlfriend Sophie van Kleef.[https://www.bndestem.nl/breda/johnny-lion-1941-2019-was-liever-anoniem-in-de-bredase-belcrum-dan-een-popidool~a3192780/ bndestem.nl]; Johnny Lion (1941–2019) was liever anoniem in de Bredase Belcrum dan een popidool, BN De Stem {{in lang|nl}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/top40-artiesten/johnny-lion |title=Johnny Lion |work=Top 40 }}
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 Panorama.
Acting
Lion acted in the 1998 film Siberia and in 2003 he had a minor role in Van God Los.[https://www.filmfestival.nl/persoon/johnny-lion/ NFF Bio] – Filmfestival {{in lang|nl}}
Personal life
He was married twice. Lion suffered from Alzheimer's disease and lung cancer in his final years,[https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/2904473/De-zanger-van-Sophietje-is-stervende-Johnny-Lion-is-aimabel-en-bescheiden-mens omroepbrabant.nl]; De zanger van 'Sophietje' is stervende: 'Johnny Lion is aimabel en bescheiden mens, – Omroep Brabant {{in lang|nl}} and died in January 2019.[https://www.telegraaf.nl/entertainment/3095740/johnny-lion-77-overleden telegraaf.nl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202001917/https://www.telegraaf.nl/entertainment/3095740/johnny-lion-77-overleden |date=2 February 2019 }}; Johnny Lion (77) overleden] – Telegraaf {{in lang|nl}}
Discography
=Singles=
With The Jumping Jewels
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="3"| Chart Positions |
|---|
| style="font-size:small;"
! width="60"| NLD |
| 1963
| align="left"| "Africa" | 8 |
| 1964
| align="left"| "Irish Washerwoman / Java" | 9 |
As a solo artist
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="3"| Chart Positions |
|---|
| style="font-size:small;"
! width="60"| NLD ! width="60"| NLD |
| 1965
| align="left"| "Sophietje" | 4 | 5 |
| 1966
| align="left"| "Tjingeling" | 15 | 14 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0513322}}
- [http://www.muziekencyclopedie.nl/action/entry/Johnny+Lion Bio] – Muziekencyclopedie {{in lang|nl}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lion, Johnny}}
Category:Musicians from The Hague