Cornelis Vreeswijk (1937-1987)

Cornelis Vreeswijk (first from the left) on the Vietnam demonstrations in Stockholm on August 28, 1965

Ah, Cornelis Vreesvijk... I liked him the moment I heard about him. The biggest star of modern Swedish troubadour music and also a Dutchman by birth - talking about an immigrant story.

Yes, his colorful lifestyle certainly wakes interest, but for me the sensibility with which he expresses his thoughts and sensibility through his lyrics and performance style is just superb. Folk music and troubadour music are completely my genres, but I believe that the two songs I chose can appeal to and say something useful to everyone.

SONGS

♫ Balladen om Fredrik Åkare och den söta fröken Cecilia Lind

♫ Somliga går med trasiga skor

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Cornelis Vresswijk was born in the Netherlands in 1937. His father decided to move the family to Stockholm when Cornelis was twelve years old. Cornelis had three younger sisters. He wanted to become a journalist, but due to not having good enough grades, he studied to be a social worker instead.

He started playing the guitar and writing his own songs as a teenager. In the 1960s he became very popular while in the 1970s his popularity declined. He tried to start his career in the Netherlands but he was not nearly as successful as in Sweden. It is said that his Dutch was old-fashioned.

He was married four times to three women and had a son from his first marriage. Parts of his life were marked by extensive partying and problems with drugs and alcohol. In the early 1980s, he had problems paying his taxes, which were reportedly resolved by the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.

Cornelis' popularity increased again in the middle of 80s, but that is when his health problems appeared. He developed diabetes and eventually liver cancer. He died in 1987. Several films have been made about his life and career. Cornelis Vreeswijk is still one of Sweden's biggest music stars, however he never acquired Swedish citizenship.

🎬 Cornelis - dokumentären (1987), documentary (watch on SVT Play)

🎬 Cornelis (2010), biographical drama (watch on SVT Play)

🎬 Somliga går med trasiga skor (2023), documentary (watch on SVT Play)