Leo Fuld
Leo Fuld ( born October 29, 1912 in Rotterdam, † 10 June 1997 in Amsterdam, actually Lazarus Fuld ) was a Dutch- American singer of popular Yiddish songs.
Life and musical career
Fuld was born as the third of ten children in a poor Jewish family. His musical talent was already early in the liturgical singing in the synagogue, so that he received a grant from a third party, which would enable him to undergo training as a cantor. Also, his parents expected of him that he to Chazzan ( cantor = ) was trained.
Since his sixteenth birthday Fuld sang in the province " Sjoels " ( Jewish Lamentations ), but also secular songs. At first he appeared in a local Rotterdam and was there sixty songs for a florin for the best. His success on stage led him in 1932 to attend an audition in London at the VARA radio, where he was discovered and engaged. He thus became the first Dutch singer, who appeared on British radio. The famous big band leader Jack Hylton heard him and closed with him a three-year contract, which led him to almost all the major stages of the British Isles and on the continent.
1933, came to his first recordings in Berlin. In 1936 he was hired by Clifford C. Fischer for the French Casino in New York and later for the Paramount Theatre on Broadway. 1938 ran from his visa for the United States and he had to return to Europe. Then he applied for an immigration visa and was able in 1940 to flee to the Netherlands to the United States just before the invasion of the German troops. In exile, he appeared in favor of the Dutch government in exile in broadcasts on shortwave for his home until he heard of the fate of his family members, many of whom were murdered by the Nazis. He was then able to enter no more stage.
But since he also had a talent for writing, he wrote texts for actors and singers such as Milton Berle, the Ritz Brothers, Jackie Miles, Jackie Gleason Jan Murray, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. He also wrote a revue " Fun For Your Money ," which he produced and directed as a director.
In 1948, he returned as an American citizen in the Netherlands, where he was enthusiastically received. He was immediately offered to sing in the biggest theater in Amsterdam. Fuld had but no longer stood on a stage for five years and was afraid before the show, but then it became a great success. His contract was extended to six weeks. Commitment from all over the world followed.
While a guest performance of his revue in Paris he attended a small Yiddish Club. There he heard a survivor of the Warsaw ghetto sing a song that touched him deeply: " Where shall I geh'n? " ( Wu sol I go against ahin? ). Fuld asked the composer for a copy and wrote in England the English lyrics. Under the title "Where can I go? " He recorded the song for Decca Records; with approximately 7.8 million records, it became his best-selling title. Fuld sang this song on TV in the Milton - Berle Show, at Perry Como and Frank Sinatra in the show, stars like Ray Charles and Steve Lawrence took it into their repertoire. Enthusiasm and appreciation it was also introduced Billie Holiday, Al Jolson, and Édith Piaf.
Tours have taken him to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, North Africa, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Europe. Ten weeks he was with Edith Piaf on the stage of the Paris ABC Theatre. Emperor Haile Selassie hired him for an appearance at the wedding of his daughter in the imperial palace in Addis Ababa.
In 1956 he founded his own club night " Sabrah " in New York before he moved to Las Vegas.
On his 80th birthday, the singer came back to the Netherlands. With the producer Mohamed el- Fers and arranger Kees Post he produced in 1996 the CD "The Legend" for Hippo Records. The CD contains his best-known Yiddish songs, but this times in oriental style. It earned him the nickname Sergeant Pepper of Yiddish music ( Abe Goldstein ).
With 84 years Fuld married a fourth time. He died a year later at his home in Amsterdam.