{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{short description|Dutch schlager singer and actor}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Heintje | image = Grand Gala du Disque Populaire 1970 - Heintje 4.jpg | alt = | caption = Heintje in 1970 | background = solo singer | birth_name = Hendrik Nikolaas Theodoor Simons | alias = Heintje Simons, Hein Simons | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|08|12|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Heerlen]], Netherlands<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySfZLkhcneA#t=9m46s Interview with Hein Simons] 2022-01-01</ref> | origin = | genre = [[Schlager music|Schlager]] | occupation = | instrument = | years_active = 1967–present | label = | website = }}
'''Hendrik Nikolaas Theodoor "Heintje" Simons''' (born 12 August 1955) in [[Heerlen]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySfZLkhcneA#t=9m46s Interview with Hein Simons] 2022-01-01</ref> later known as '''Hein Simons''', is a Dutch [[Schlager music|schlager]] singer and actor.<ref name="nzz">{{Cite web |title=Das erste Mal – Heintje, wie geht es Mama? |url=http://www.nzzfolio.ch/www/d80bd71b-b264-4db4-afd0-277884b93470/showarticle/4d9f7422-cab2-441e-941c-58e38b0c5b3e.aspx |date=August 2001 |publisher=NZZ Folio, The magazine of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung |language=nl |access-date=25 July 2015}}</ref>
== Background == Heintje was born the son of a coal miner who had to retire because of [[silicosis]], reducing the family to near poverty. The family opened a small café where Heintje used to sing along with the jukebox.<ref name=latimes/> When he was 11, he entered a local singing contest. He beat 30 competitors to win the contest. Producer Addy Kleijngeld heard about him and went to audition him at his home. After hearing only a few notes, he took him on as a client and became his manager. Upon becoming wealthy, Heintje moved his family back to his father's birthplace, [[Neu-Moresnet]], [[Kelmis]], [[Liège (province)|Liège]], Belgium.<ref name=latimes/>
He became famous as a child singer, with hit song "[[Mama (David Whitfield song)|Mama]]" (written by [[Cesare Andrea Bixio]], Bruno Cherubini and [[Bruno Balz]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heintje – "Heintje" (1968, LP) |date=1968 |url=http://www.discogs.com/Heintje-Heintje/release/740587 |publisher=discogs |access-date=28 December 2013}}</ref> in 1968, and as a child actor, with his appearances in numerous German films in the 1960s and 1970s (some of these were dubbed into English and also [[Afrikaans]]). He enjoyed success with English songs, notable of which is "I'm Your Little Boy".<ref name=nzz/> In 1971, The ''Los Angeles Times'' described him as "the hottest property in Europe."<ref name="latimes">"Europe's Top Singer Faces Crisis at 15" (11 March 1971) ''Los Angeles Times''</ref> The same article quoted the ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]'' as saying of him "No one is bigger in German show business."<ref name=latimes/>
His 1967 recording of "Mama" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold record]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{Cite book |last=Murrells |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/222 |title=The Book of Golden Discs |publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |year=1978 |isbn=0-214-20512-6 |edition=2nd |location=London |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/222 222–223] |url-access=registration}}</ref> The following year his debut album ''Heintje'' went on to sell over two million copies, resulting in a [[platinum record]] award. Other records selling over a million units included "Du sollst nicht weinen", "Heidschi bumbeidschi" and the seasonal album, ''Weihnachten mit Heintje''. His sales in 1968 and 1969 alone totaled over 10 million.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs" />
At the age of 20 he also recorded in Afrikaans; his single "Jou hart is weer myne" reached number 4 on the South African Official Chart in 1975. He was so popular in South Africa that he performed in concert there in the mid 1970s; a 1983 appearance that he made at a concert for South African troops stationed in [[Namibia]] attracted negative publicity in his native Netherlands for violating that nation's cultural boycott of the South African [[apartheid]] system, leading to him being reprimanded by the [[United Nations]] and by Namibian pastor [[Zephania Kameeta]], who called his performance "an immoral [show of] support for apartheid".<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2 March 1983 |title="SCHENDING VAN CULTURELE BOYCOT": Heintje en Hermans naar Zuid-Afrika |url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=%22apartheid%22+%22Heintje%22&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=1%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C&page=1&sortfield=date&coll=ddd&identifier=ABCDDD:010878562:mpeg21:a0007&resultsidentifier=ABCDDD:010878562:mpeg21:a0007&rowid=7 |trans-title="VIOLATION OF CULTURAL BOYCOTT": Heintje and Hermans to South Africa |work=[[De Volkskrant]] |language=Dutch |location=Amsterdam, Netherlands |publisher= |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2 March 1983 |title=Stichting is boos over reis Heintje en Heimans naar Zuid-Afrika |url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=%22apartheid%22+%22Heintje%22&coll=ddd&sortfield=date&page=1&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=1%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C&identifier=KBPERS01:002999002:mpeg21:a00001&resultsidentifier=KBPERS01:002999002:mpeg21:a00001&rowid=5 |trans-title=Foundation is angry about Heintje and Heimans' trip to South Africa |work=[[Algemeen Dagblad]] |language=Dutch |location=Rotterdam, Netherlands |publisher= |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2 March 1983 |title=W.F. Hermans en Hein(tje) schenden boycot van Zuid-Afrika |url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=%22apartheid%22+%22Heintje%22&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=1%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C&page=1&sortfield=date&coll=ddd&identifier=ABCDDD:010818988:mpeg21:a0102&resultsidentifier=ABCDDD:010818988:mpeg21:a0102&rowid=6 |trans-title=W.F. Hermans and Hein(tje) violate boycott of South Africa |work=[[Trouw]] |language=Dutch |location=Amsterdam, Netherlands |publisher= |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref> In a subsequent interview, he brushed off the criticism, remarking that he was opposed to apartheid, but said, regarding his appearance in South Africa, that he was there as a singer and that it was not his business to get involved in politics. He told the ''[[Limburgsch Dagblad]]'': {{cquote|I am a singer and come to South Africa as an artist. I know that large Dutch companies still do fantastic business with this country. There can be no question of a real boycott. Why should I be the only victim? Besides, I love this country. The nature is incredibly beautiful and the people are very pleasant.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date= |title=Hein Simons—op tournee door Zuid-Afrika—bilijft tegen apartheid: 'Ik ben zanger en bemoei me niet met politiek |url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=%22apartheid%22+%22Heintje%22&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=1%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C&page=1&sortfield=date&coll=ddd&maxperpage=50&identifier=ddd:010593600:mpeg21:a0166&resultsidentifier=ddd:010593600:mpeg21:a0166&rowid=12 |trans-title=Hein Simons—on tour in South Africa—continues to oppose apartheid: 'I am a singer and do not get involved in politics' |work=[[Limburgsch Dagblad]] |language=Dutch |location=Sittard, Netherlands |publisher= |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref>}}
Heintje also gained great popularity in China in the 1980s. As China introduced its "[[Gaige Kaifang]]" policy, his 1970 film ''{{ill|Heintje – Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen|de||pl||zh|英俊少年}}'' was among the first wave of movies from the capitalist [[First World]] to be imported into China and made available to the general urban population. ''Heintje – Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen'', like most of other foreign films imported into China in the 1980s, received unprecedented popularity among Chinese viewers, with the majority of them having never encountered Western culture before under communist rule. His song "Kleine Kinder Kleine Sorgen" in the movie was so popular that it became an important part of an entire generation of Chinese 80s memory. On two occasions (2010 and 2015), Heintje was invited by [[Beijing Television]] as guest performer to sing "Kleine Kinder Kleine Sorgen" on BTV's [[Chinese New Year]] Gala.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://brf.be/regional/76606/|title="Heintje" goes China: Fernsehshow zur chinesischen Neujahrsfeier|website=Belgischer Rundfunk|date=10 December 2009|access-date=9 December 2021|language=de}}</ref>
Heintje continued to sing as an adult, billed as "Hein Simons", and is particularly popular in German-speaking countries.<ref name="da">{{Cite web |title=da music |url=http://www.da-music.de/Specials/Kuenstler/Hein-Simons/Biografie |publisher=Da-music.de |language=de |access-date=28 December 2013}}</ref> More than 40 million Heintje records have been sold worldwide. Since his marriage he has lived at {{ill|Château Schimper|fr}} in [[Moresnet (village)|Moresnet]], [[Plombières]], Belgium. He was married from 1981 to 2014<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heintjes Frau und die Mutter seiner drei Kinder lässt ihn sitzen |url=https://www.blick.ch/people-tv/musik/heintjes-frau-und-die-mutter-seiner-drei-kinder-laesst-ihn-sitzen-maaammaaaa-ist-weg-id2818055.html |date=28 April 2014 |website=Blick |language=German |trans-title=Heintje's wife and mother of his three children leaves him |access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref> and has three children.<ref name=da/>
In 2017 he re-launched his career with a CD and video ''Ich war Heintje'' performing duets with recordings of his younger self,<ref>{{YouTube|A6r_rCA5QSs|Hein Simons Comeback in Brendenburg}}</ref> and leading to a Christmas album ''Heintje und Ich''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hein Simons: "Weihnachten mit Heintje" als Duett-Album |date=17 August 2018 |url=https://www.schlagerplanet.com/news/schlager-news/hein-simons-weihnachten-mit-heintje-als-duett-album-13002.html |publisher=schlagerplanet.com |access-date=13 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=5 February 2019 |title=Hein "Heintje" Simons stürmt Schlager-Charts |work=MDR |url=https://www.mdr.de/meine-schlagerwelt/hein-simons-108.html}}</ref>
In March 2024, he was diagnosed with [[melanoma]], a form of black skin cancer.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=7 March 2024 |title=Ex-child star Heintje has been diagnosed with cancer |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/entertainment/blue-music/former-child-star-heintje-has-cancer-2268258.html |work=Bluewin |location= |publisher= |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref>
== Discography == {{Main|Heintje Simons discography}}
== Filmography ==
*1967 ''{{ill|Die Lümmel von der ersten Bank|de}}'' *1968 ''[[Zum Teufel mit der Penne]]'' *1969 ''[[Heintje: A Heart Goes on a Journey|Heintje – Ein Herz geht auf Reisen]]'' *1969 ''[[Hurra, die Schule brennt!]]'' *1970 ''{{ill|Heintje – Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen|de||pl||zh|英俊少年}}'' *1970 ''{{ill|Heintje – Mein bester Freund|de||pl}}'' *1971 ''[[Morgen fällt die Schule aus]]''
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} *{{Official website}} *{{IMDb name|id=0800697|name=Heintje Simons}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simons, Heintje}} [[Category:1955 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century Dutch male actors]] [[Category:Dutch expatriates in Belgium]] [[Category:Dutch male actors]] [[Category:Dutch male child actors]] [[Category:Dutch male film actors]] [[Category:20th-century Dutch male singers]] [[Category:Dutch pop singers]] [[Category:Dutch schlager musicians]] [[Category:Musicians from Limburg (Netherlands)]] [[Category:English-language Dutch singers]] [[Category:German-language Dutch singers]] [[Category:Afrikaans-language Dutch singers]] [[Category:People from Kelmis]] [[Category:People from Kerkrade]] [[Category:People from Heerlen]]