Born in Amsterdam on June 30, 1951, André Hazes was both a cult figure and a very successful mainstream pop artist. He earned both reputations by being the most successful baby boom generation interpreter of "het levenslied" -- the Dutch equivalent of American country songs or the French chanson. "Het levenslied" (the life song) evokes the lives of ordinary people in simple and recognizable terms, often with a melodramatic touch. Hazes rose to fame in the 1970s, with hit songs like "Eenzame Kerst" and "De Vlieger." He secured his mainstream success well into the '80s, and although he was obscured somewhat in the 1990s, Hazes returned to the spotlight in 1999, staying there until his early and unfortunate death in 2004. ~ Philip D. Huff