Johnny Kraaykamp
| John Kraaijkamp Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Jan Hendrik Kraaijkamp 19 April 1925 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | 17 July 2011 (aged 86) Laren, Netherlands |
| Other names | John Kraaijkamp, Johnny Kraaijkamp, John Kraaykamp |
| Occupation | Comedian, actor |
| Years active | 1956–2007 |
| Children | John Kraaijkamp Jr. |
Jan Hendrik (John) Kraaijkamp Sr. (19 April 1925 – 17 July 2011) was a Dutch Golden Calf and Louis d'Or winning actor, comedian and singer. For years, he formed a comedy team with Rijk de Gooyer. One of The Netherlands' most popular comedians, praised for his perfect timing, he also played in more serious plays, including the title role in King Lear (1979) and in the Academy Award winning WOII drama film The Assault (1986). From 1993 until 2003, he starred in the successful sitcom "Het Zonnetje in Huis" along his son John Kraaijkamp Jr.
Kraaijkamp was one of four children of a greengrocer and a housecleaner. He grew up in the Kinkerbuurt in Amsterdam. After an accident, his father was declared unfit for work and Johnny had to find work at a young age. At the age of 14, he already performed as a boy soprano in the famous Amsterdam theatre Carré.
Kraaijkamp worked for a short while as acrobat, but then moved on to become a singer in a show orchestra. He performed as an entertainer and bass player in local bars, where he was discovered in the 1950s by Rijk de Gooyer.
Together they recorded the song "Twee jongens op een gitaar" (Two guys on a guitar). It was the start of a long and successful partnership. John (then "Johnny") and Rijk began to perform together on radio and television. In spring 1956, they joined the "Weekendshow", an entertainment show from the broadcasting company AVRO which also included comedians Huub Matron and later René van Vooren. They also toured with the Snip & Snap Revue and perform in several comedy plays written for TV, together and apart.
In 1962, they got together again for Open het dorp, an extremely well-watched TV benefit marathon presented by Mies Bouwman, in which they performed in their pyjamas. In the 1960s and 1970s they performed regularly together on Dutch TV. In 1964, they began with the Johnny & Rijk shows (later called 'n Paar Apart). In 1968, they presented another "Weekendhow". In all these shows, Rijk was the "feeder" and John the comedian. Even when they worked apart, they held close contact. In 1963, John got his own TV show at the broadcasting company KRO, the Johnny Kraaijkamp Show, for which De Gooyer wrote. The duo also recorded a couple of hit singles, including "De Bostella", for which they received a golden record in 1968. From 1970 to 1971, they even had a show on German TV, Spass durch Zwei.
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