Van Burg, Lou
Freunde Furs Leben
Lou van Burg was born on August 25, 1917, in The Hague, Netherlands. He began his career as a singer and entertainer in various Parisian nightclubs and released several records in French and German before achieving his first hit with "Nicolo, Nicolo, Nicolino." In 1958, Lou van Burg had his first television show, "Jede Sekunde ein Schilling" (Every Second a Schilling), on the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). The song "Ich möchte dich so gern verwöhnen" (I'd So Love to Pamper You), a duet with Barbara Kist, which also appeared on this show, was a success, reaching number 24 on the German charts. Lou van Burg achieved further chart success with "Allerhand, allerhand" (reaching number 14 in 1954). His single "Freunde fürs Leben," the German version of "Down By The Riverside," climbed to number 8 in 1960, and "Katerina" even reached number 7 in 1962. From 1964, Lou van Burg hosted the ZDF show "Der goldene Schuss" with tremendous success. His catchphrase "Wunnebar" became his trademark. The public affectionately called him "Uncle Lou." ZDF ended their collaboration in 1967 when his affair with his assistant became public. For the next nine years, he worked as a master of ceremonies for the Althoff Circus until he returned to ZDF in the 1970s, where he hosted various television shows. In the final years of his career, he was engaged at the Millowitsch Theater in Cologne and worked for various radio stations. Lou van Burg died on April 26, 1986, from leukemia, a disease he had suffered from for many years. He will be fondly remembered by his audience as "Mr. Wonderful" and "Uncle Lou".