Wouter Otto Levenbach (; born 4 May 1944), known as Dave, is a Dutch Francophone singer who had a string of number one hits in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in the 1970s. A native of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, he resides in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Early life and education

Dave was born in

. His father was Jewish and an English teacher by trade; his mother was a classical dancer. He has two brothers, Marteen and Lucas, and a sister, Elsbeth. He learned to play the guitar at age 14.Biographie
at ''clubs.nl'' (Dutch) He became a very spiritual person who prayed frequently and even planned to study theology; however, he eventually chose to study law. Among other things, he was inspired by

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...

's ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

'', a revolutionary novel which encouraged young people to leave home and learn life "on the road", and to communicate with others. Passionate about the sea and rivers (a love which he owes to his grandfather), he left the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

by boat with 1,000

guilders Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Emp ...

in his pocket (about two months' living expenses).

Musical career

1960s: Beginnings

He met

Eddie Barclay Édouard Ruault (26 January 1921 – 13 May 2005), better known as Eddie Barclay, was a French music producer whose singers included Jacques Brel, Dalida and Charles Aznavour. He founded record label Barclay. Life Ruault, the son of a ca ...

, the executive for

Barclay Records Barclay is a French record company and label founded by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Eddie Barclay was a bandleader, pianist, producer, and nightclub owner. With his wife, Nicole, who was the vocalist in his band, he started Barclay. The catalogue inc ...

, in Saint-Tropez in 1968; Barclay was responsible for launching Dave's career in show business. On 26 February 1969, he participated in the ''

Nationaal Songfestival (; ) was an annual music competition, which was originally organised by the Dutch public broadcaster (NTS), and later by the (NOS) and (TROS). It was staged almost every year between 1956 and 2012 to determine the country's entry for the Eu ...

'', the Dutch pre-selection contest for that year's

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

with a song called "''Niets gaat zo snel''", but did not win. In Summer 1969 he reached the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...

charts for the first time with "''Nathalie''", peaking at No. 28.

1970s: Peak

From 1971 to 1974, he was one of the actors in the musical ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hym ...

'', making friends with actor

Daniel Auteuil Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Fest ...

, who would become his best friend. In 1974, he released his first hit "''Trop Beau''", a French adaptation of

The Rubettes The Rubettes are an English pop/glam rock band put together in 1974 after the release of "Sugar Baby Love", a recording assembled of studio session musicians in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, the then head of A&R at Polydor R ...

' hit " Sugar Baby Love"; later, he released "Vanina", his first number one single in France, an adaptation of

Del Shannon Charles Weedon Westover (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990), better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one ''Billboard'' hit "Runaway". In 1999, he was induc ...

's " Runaway", adapted into French by Patrick Loiseau. These were followed in 1975 by the three hits "''Mon cœur est malade''", "''Dansez maintenant''" and "''Du côté de chez Swann''". His self-titled first album was released at the end of 1975. By that time, he did not only have great success in France and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, but also in his country of origin the Netherlands, where "''Dansez maintenant''" was a number 1 hit in the top 40 and "''Du côté de chez Swann''" made the top 10 too. His later hits included "''Lettre à Hélène''" (1978), "''Comment ne pas être amoureux de vous''" (1978) and "''Allo Elisa''" (1979).

1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, his popularity waned following the advent of FM radio in France. He still had an audience due to live performances"

Music-Hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

Jean-Pierre Thiollet Jean-Pierre Thiollet (; born 9 December 1956) is a French writer and journalist. Primarily living in Paris, he is the author of numerous books and one of the national leaders of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CEDI), a ...

a vu Dave, l'homme qui vend du rêve... ", ''

Le Quotidien de Paris ''Le Quotidien de Paris'' was a French newspaper founded in 1974 by . Along with ' and ', ''Le Quotidien de Paris'' made up the (Daily Press Group) which employed over 550 individuals," Philippe Tesson : « Mes trois critères d'appréciation » " ...

'', 20 May 1982 ( Olympia, May 1982). and his classic hits. However, he himself likened the ebb to a "crossing of a very pretty desert". In 1993, he released a new album, then in 1994, he made a comeback following the release of a greatest hits album, which sold more than 200,000 copies. He later recorded a new album entitled ''Toujours le même bleu'', which included a title single from which enables him to hit the charts once again. It is also around this time that he came out as homosexual. In 1996, he appeared in a commercial for Dutch cheese. He later became a co-presenter with

Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...

of the TF1 television program ''Salut les Chouchous''; after a year, he assumed the presenter duties alone. In 1997, publisher Lattès Editions published Dave's autobiography, ''Du côté de chez moi'' ("Around where I live"). An album, ''Dave classique'', was released, fulfilling his dream to record some classical compositions.

2000s and 2010s

From 2001 to 2005 Dave presented together with

Flavie Flament Flavie Flament (née Lecanu, born 2 July 1974) is a French television and radio presenter. Early life She was born in Valognes, Normandy, the daughter of Jean-Paul Lecanu, a former professional football player (1970–1974) for Stade Ma ...

and

Denis Brogniart Denis Brogniart (; born 12 June 1967 in Dijon) is a French sport journalist and television host. He presents the show ''Koh-Lanta'' since 2002 and Formula One racing on TF1 with Marion Jollès Grosjean. Personal life Married in 2007 with Horte ...

the TV event ''

Domino Day ''Domino Day'' is a world record attempt for the highest number of toppling domino stones, organized from 1998 to 2009 by Endemol Netherlands. Together with Weijers Domino Productions of Robin Paul Weijers, also known as Mr. Domino, parties tea ...

'' on TF1. In 2003, he released another autobiographical book, ''Soit dit en passant... mes années paillettes'', which dealt with his life as a showbiz celebrity in the 1970s. The book also revealed the love story which has united Dave with his lyricist and companion Patrick Loiseau for more than thirty years. The latter also participated in the work to share his version of the events. In 2006, he released a new album under the name of "Dave Levenbach", ''Tout le plaisir a été pour moi''. In September 2006, he played four special concerts at the ''Théâtre de l'Européen'' in Paris. He was awarded Knight of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

on 17 April 2015.

Selected discography

Singles

French * 1968: "Si je chante" * 1974: "Trop beau" * 1974: "Vanina" (# 1/FR) * 1975: "Mon cœur est malade" * 1975: "Dansez maintenant" (# 1/NL, #1/BE) * 1976: "Du côte de chez Swann" (# 9/NL) * 1976: "Ophélie" * 1976: "Hurlevent" * 1979: "Allo Elisa" * 1980: "Maria Magdalena" * 1996: "Boulevard des sans amour" Dutch * 1969: "Nathalie" (# 29/NL) * 1969: "Niets gaat zo snel" * 1990: "De eerste keer deed nog pijn" English * 1974: "Sugar Baby Love" * 1974: "Runaway" German * 1975: "Mein Mädchen Monika" * 1975: "Wie schön dich zu seh'n" * 1980: "Und alles soll plötzlich zu Ende sein" Italian * 1969: "Il ricordo di Natalie" Spanish * 1975: "Vanesa"

Albums

* 1976: ''Tant qu'il y aura'' (# 1/FR) * 1979: ''Pour que tu me comprennes'' (# 1/FR) * 1996: ''Toujours le même bleu'' * 2004: ''Doux Tam Tam'' * 2006: ''Tout le plaisir a été pour moi'' * 2011: ''Blue-Eyed Soul !''

Television

usually as a TV presenter * 1996–1997: ''Salut les Chouchous'' ( TF1) * 2001–2002: ''

'' (

France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services provi ...

), with

Marc-Olivier Fogiel Marc-Olivier Fogiel (born July 5, 1969) is a French television and radio presenter and producer. Early life Marc-Olivier Fogiel was born on July 5, 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. His father is a dentist; his mother was an estate agent who reti ...

* 2001–2005: ''

'' ( TF1), with

and

* 2010–2013, 2015–2016: ''

La France a un incroyable talent ''La France a un incroyable talent'' ( en, France's Got Incredible Talent), previously known as ''Incroyable Talent'', is a French TV show, based on the ''Got Talent'' series. It debuted on M6 on 2 November 2006, presented by Alessandra Sublet ...

'' ( M6), as a judge (2010–2013) and a guest judge (2015–2016) * 2011–2012: ''Les années 1980 : le retour'' and ''Les années 1990 : le retour et Les années 2000 : le retour'' ( M6), with

Sandrine Corman Sandrine Corman (born 12 April 1980 in Verviers, Belgium) is a Belgian television and radio presenter. Pageants Corman was Miss Belgium 1997 at the age of 17. She later stated that she was not interested in the contest and that her mother had r ...

* 2014–2016: ''Du côté de chez Dave'' (

and

TV5Monde TV5Monde (), formerly known as TV5, is a French public television network, broadcasting several channels of French-language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union. The network is available across ...

international)Du côté de chez Dave
at ''Le Figaro'' (French) * 2015: '' Téléthon'' (

), with

Sophie Davant Sophie Davant (born 19 May 1963) is a French journalist, television presenter and actress. Early life and education She was born in Bordeaux in the department of Gironde. She graduated with a master of foreign languages in both English and Germ ...

and

Nagui Nagui Fam (; born 14 November 1961) is an Egyptian-born French TV and radio personality of Egyptian and Italian descent. In his professional life, he goes by his first name Nagui. Biography His television career began in 1987 on M6, and swi ...

Coup d'envoi pour le Téléthon 2015
at ''francebleu.fr'' (French) * since 2016: ''Même le dimanche'' (

), with

Wendy Bouchard Wendy Bouchard (born 22 June 1980) is a French journalist, radio and television presenter. Early life and education Born in Paris, Wendy Bouchard studied at the high school of Saint-Michel-de-Picpus in Paris. She graduated in history at the So ...

Même le dimanche (France 3) : Quel est le premier invité de Dave et Wendy Bouchard ?
at ''programme-television.org'' (French)

Filmography

* 1981: '' Dickie-roi'' as Dickie-roi * 1994: ''

La Cité de la peur ( "The City of Fear"), also known as ("The Les Nuls Movie"), is a 1994 French comedy film written by and starring Chantal Lauby, Alain Chabat and Dominique Farrugia of the comedy group Les Nuls, and directed by Alain Berbérian in 1994. The m ...

'' as himself * 2006: ''

Poltergay ''Poltergay'' is a 2006 French film directed by Éric Lavaine and based on an idea by Héctor Cabello Reyes. The script was written by Héctor Cabello Reyes and Éric Lavaine. The film was released on 25 October 2006. Plot Emma and Marc, two young ...

'' as himself * 2013: '' Une chanson pour ma mère'' as himself

References

External links

Michel Habert Production (Dave's manager)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dave Dutch male singers 1944 births Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau Living people Dutch expatriates in France LGBT singers from the Netherlands Musicians from Amsterdam Gay musicians Columbia Records artists French-language singers Dutch people of German-Jewish descent Nationaal Songfestival contestants 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people La France a un incroyable talent