Bobbejaan
Ich Weine In Mein Bier
Bobbejaan Schoepen was born Modest Schoepen on May 16, 1925, in Boom, Belgium. He trained as a blacksmith and performed in theater groups. In 1948, he recorded his first record with Django Reinhardt. This was followed by radio appearances and concert tours with many well-known artists such as Caterina Valente and Jacques Brel. In 1955, Bobbejaan (still as Bobby Jaan) toured Germany and released his first records in German. From 1959 onward, his singles were released under the name Bobbejaan. His very first single, "Ich steh an der Bar und habe kein Geld" (I'm Standing at the Bar and Have No Money), a cover version of Slim Dusty's "A Pub with No Beer," reached the Top Ten (1960, number 9) and remained in the charts for 32 weeks. In the same year, he charted a second time with "Ich weine in mein Bier" (1960, number 32). In 1962, Bobbejann achieved his third chart success with "Wie 'ne Kneipe ohne Bier" (1962, number 22). In 1961, Bobbejann opened the Bobbejaanland amusement park in Belgium, which became a popular tourist attraction. During the 1960s, Bobbejaan Schoepen also enjoyed some success with compositions he wrote for other artists such as Camillo Felgen, Richard Anthony, and Tex Williams. Bobbejaan Schoepen died on May 17, 2010, in Turnhout, Belgium.