[78-L] Johannes Heesters dies at 108

[Jack Raymond]

> Kristjan Saag posted:
> Johannes Heesters, probably the oldest performing artist ever, has 
> died, at 108. Last summer he was still performing in Berlin theatres, 
> celebrating his 107th birthday. Heesters, born in the Netherlands but 
> working in Germany most of his life, was active in silent movies and 
> soundies, dramatic theatre, music theatre, cabarets and revues and 
> made many recordings, one being the infamous "Zigarrettenlied" where 
> he praised the joy of smoking, a habit he practised until his 107th 
> year, when he finally gave it up, in order to spare his 46 years 
> younger wife the misfortune of losing her husband prematurely.

Yes, I saw the obituary in today's newspapers and could hardly believe 
it,    I have a number of his 78s from the 1930s and early 40s and had 
assumed he was long since dead.  A remarkable man, obviously.

-- Jack Raymond