Ben Steneker

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Ben Steneker (* 1935 in Heeg , Friesland , Netherlands ) is a Dutch country singer. Steneker is known as the " Godfather of Dutch Country ".

Life

Steneker's career began in 1957 when he made his first records with Lydia and the Melody Strings . In 1959 his song Send Me The Pillow reached number four in the Dutch charts . This was followed by television appearances and further top ten placements in the 1960s : Lonely River Rhine (1962), From A Jack To A King (1963) and Judy (1964). After quieter years, Steneker made a comeback in 1980 with the album Hello Again . He was also known in the motherland of the country, the United States , and performed at festivals there.

Texas Proud magazine named Steneker Best Foreign Artist of the Year in 1981 . In 1994 he was the first European to be inducted into the Mid America Hall of Fame , and in 1998 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from World Music Events USA . This was followed in 2000 by the International Country Music Texas Hall of Fame Award and admission to the Dutch Country Hall of Fame . In the same year, Steneker's album Route 65 stayed in the top ten of the Dutch country charts for four months. Here Ben Steneker was heard for the first time in a duet with his daughter Carmen Steneker . Ben and Carmen Steneker had a hit with Juanita is Waiting . Ben Steneker also made it into the Dutch country charts in 2004 with Nueva Rosita (29th place).

In the early 1960s, Ben Steneker married Irene Eising. The two ran a country club in Haaksbergen during the early part of their marriage .