Louis Neefs
Encyclopedia
Louis Neefs was a Belgian
singer and presenter
, who is known for his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest
s of 1967 and 1969.
at college in Mechelen
when he joined the college choir and started learning to play guitar
. At first his musical activities were purely recreational, but by the late 1950s he had become a member of a group called Sun Spot. Via performances and talent competitions, Neefs' distinctive singing voice came to the notice of famous musical talent scout Jacques Kluger, who had also discovered, among others, Bobbejaan Schoepen
. Kluger and Schoepen brought Neefs to the attention of record companies, and he was signed to a contract in 1958, releasing his first album in 1960. He achieved several top 20 singles in the Flemish
chart, and a modicum of success in the Netherlands
.
" ("I Have Worries"), as the Belgian representative in the 12th Eurovision Song Contest
which took place on 8 April in Vienna
. "Ik heb zorgen" finished in seventh place of 17 entrants.
In 1969, Neefs was again selected to represent Belgium, with the song "Jennifer Jennings
" in the 14th Eurovision
, held in Madrid
on 29 March. This resulted in another seventh place finish, of 16 entrants.
" of Thomas O'Malley in the Dutch language version of Disney
's The Aristocats
.
In tandem with his musical career, Neefs was a presenter of television and radio shows for Flemish broadcaster VRT
. He also became politically active, standing as a councillor
in Mechelen.
on 25 December 1980, aged 43. His wife Liliane also died in the accident. They had two sons, Ludwig and Günther; the latter is now also a well-known singer in Belgium.
On 5 August 2007, a bust
of Neefs was unveiled in his hometown of Gierle to honour what would have been his 70th birthday.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
singer and presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, who is known for his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
s of 1967 and 1969.
Early career
Neefs was training for a career in technical drawingTechnical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
at college in Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
when he joined the college choir and started learning to play guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. At first his musical activities were purely recreational, but by the late 1950s he had become a member of a group called Sun Spot. Via performances and talent competitions, Neefs' distinctive singing voice came to the notice of famous musical talent scout Jacques Kluger, who had also discovered, among others, Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen is a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music...
. Kluger and Schoepen brought Neefs to the attention of record companies, and he was signed to a contract in 1958, releasing his first album in 1960. He achieved several top 20 singles in the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
chart, and a modicum of success in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Eurovision Song Contest
In 1967, Neefs was chosen, with the song "Ik heb zorgenIk Heb Zorgen
"Ik heb zorgen" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967, performed in Dutch by Louis Neefs.The song was performed tenth on the night...
" ("I Have Worries"), as the Belgian representative in the 12th Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the twelfth Eurovision Song Contest. The presenter became confused whilst the voting was taking place, and declared the United Kingdom's entry to be the winner before the last country, Ireland, had announced its votes...
which took place on 8 April in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. "Ik heb zorgen" finished in seventh place of 17 entrants.
In 1969, Neefs was again selected to represent Belgium, with the song "Jennifer Jennings
Jennifer Jennings
"Jennifer Jennings" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, performed in Dutch by Louis Neefs.The song was performed tenth on the night...
" in the 14th Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
, held in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
on 29 March. This resulted in another seventh place finish, of 16 entrants.
Later career
Neefs continued to enjoy recording success, with the biggest hit of his career, "Margrietje", reaching #4 in 1972. He was also the "voiceVoiceOver
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
" of Thomas O'Malley in the Dutch language version of Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's The Aristocats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
.
In tandem with his musical career, Neefs was a presenter of television and radio shows for Flemish broadcaster VRT
Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep
The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
. He also became politically active, standing as a councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in Mechelen.
Death
Neefs was killed in a road accident in LierLier, Belgium
Lier is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. On January 1, 2010 Lier had a total population of 33,930. The total area is 49.70 km² which gives a population density of 669 inhabitants per...
on 25 December 1980, aged 43. His wife Liliane also died in the accident. They had two sons, Ludwig and Günther; the latter is now also a well-known singer in Belgium.
On 5 August 2007, a bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Neefs was unveiled in his hometown of Gierle to honour what would have been his 70th birthday.