Enlarge image
Father Abraham with Smurf doll
Photo: Horst Galuschka / picture alliance / Horst Galuschka
A bowler hat on his head, a bow tie on his neck: the utensils were among the trademarks of his character Vader Abraham.
According to media reports, the Dutch singer and composer Pierre Kartner has died at the age of 87.
Born in 1935 in the Dutch municipality of Elst, Kartner initially trained as a confectioner.
With two friends he founded the trio »Lettersets«, which soon split up after a few TV appearances.
He celebrated his first successes with the title »Bij Lily Marleen kijk je zomaar door haar kanten bloesje heen« (»With Lily Marleen you just look through the lace blouse«).
He became known in the 1970s with his »Smurf Song« (original: »'t Smurfenlied«), which describes life in Schlumpfhausen in a kind of dialogue between the singer and the Smurfs.
The song has been translated into several languages and covered dozens of times.
In the German hit parade, the song landed in the charts for several weeks.
After that, Kartner worked as a composer for various German pop singers, with titles such as "Today I have a headache," sung by Ireen Sheer, or Heino's "Mary Rose, So'n alter Schunkelwalzer."
Kartner's lyrics were sometimes accused of right-wing tendencies.
Among other things, there was criticism for his 1975 carnival song »Wat doen we met die Arabieren hier« (»What are we doing with the Arabs here«).
Because of its "discriminatory character" the record was taken off the market.
Kartner recently retired from the music business.
According to media reports, the family gave no further details about the cause of death.
isb