Rob de Nijs

Rob de Nijs is one of the most well-known and successful Dutch singers of the post-war era. Born in 1942, he began a professional music career with his band the Lords, which had their breakout single, "Ritme van de Regen," in 1963. During the late '60s, de Nijs moved into acting, including the children's shows Oebele and Hamelen. He parlayed his regained popularity into many solo hits, including 1973's "Jan Klaassen de Trompetter." In 1980, de Nijs married Belinda Meulendijk, who became his principal lyricist, and they saw his biggest success yet with an end-of-the-year peace song called "Laat Alles Wat Ademt" during Christmas 1985. De Nijs scored his first number one song in 1996 with "Banger Hart," and continued to chart in the next century. ~ Philip D. Huff