Goodnight from Sydney

Tonight's photo: "All I Want Is A Place Somewhere" Taken this afternoon while sitting on a rock at Tambourine Bay, Lane Cove.

The name Johannes Heesters, probably wont mean a lot to most readers. It didn't mean much to me either until a few years ago when I became interested in old German and Austrian music - partly because my mother is Austrian and I was stuck for a birthday present for her 73rd birthday. If in doubt - buy an old CD. I've lost count of how many Melanie CDs have been given to me by former girlfriends - and the CDs lasted longer and been turned on more often.

But back to the main topic of this post. On Dec 5th last year, Johannes turned 103 - and he is still active. At the time of writing, Heesters holds the record of being the oldest performer worldwide who is still active, both on the stage and on television.

If you take a look at the Internet Movie Database, you will see that 2006 was quite a busy year from him. And I can assure you from listening to his CD, he can still sing a damn good love song. Maybe that's not quite so surprising as he married his second wife Simone Rethel (b 1949), in 1991 when in his late 80s! (he was married to his first wife from 1930 until her death in 1985).

I've actually listened to it more than my mother but that's because she's a miserable old bugger, and I am just a trainee-miserable-old-bugger.

Here are a few links you may like to take a look at:

The Official Johannes Heesters Website (in German but interesting photographs)
IMDB

Wherever you may be - be safe!