John+Kraaiji+Kemp+Sr.

=John Kraaijkamp Sr.=

John Kraaijkamp Sr. was a musician, singer, comedian and actor from the Netherlands. He was born in April of 1925 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and was one of four children. His parents were not wealthy so John started to work at a young age.

He had been a singer in an orchestra and performed as a bass player. He performed at local bars where his talent was discovered in the 50’s by Rijk de Gooyer. They became partners and recorded songs and appeared on radio and television shows together for years. In 1964, they even had their own TV show called the Johnny & Rijk Show. John was also solo artist and participated in some television shows of which his partner was a writer. He also appeared in a few films.

Johnk Kraaijkamp Sr. died at the age of 86 in July of 2011 in Laren, Netherlands.

He had been known for all his music and productions such as a Midsummer Night’s Dream, for which he won the Louis d’Or, the most prestigious award in stage acting in The Netherlands. He was loved all over Europe and made his way into American productions. His acting career helped him provide for his family once his father died. He supported his mother and all of his siblings throughout their childhood. Not only was he loved by his family, he was a European legend in the industry.