Leo Fuld

Leo Fuld (1971)

Leo Fuld (born October 29, 1912 in Rotterdam , † June 10, 1997 in Amsterdam ; actually Lazarus Fuld) was a Dutch-American singer of popular Yiddish songs.

Life and musical career

Fuld was born the third of ten children to a poor Jewish family. His musical talent was shown early in the liturgical singing in the synagogue , so that he received a donation from a third party, which should enable him to undergo training as a chasan . His parents also expected him to be trained as a Chasan .

Since his sixteenth birthday, Fuld sang “Sjoels” (Jewish lamentations) in the province, but also secular songs. At first he performed in a Rotterdam pub, where he sang sixty songs for one guilder. His success on stage led him to take part in an audition in London in 1932 for VARA radio, where he was discovered and hired. He became the first Dutch singer to appear on English radio. The famous big band leader Jack Hylton heard him and signed a three-year contract with him, which took him to almost every major podium in the British Isles and on the continent .

In 1933 he made his first recordings in Berlin . In 1936 he was hired by Clifford C. Fischer for the French Casino in New York and later for the Paramount Theater on Broadway . In 1938 his US visa expired and he had to return to Europe. He then applied for an immigration visa and was able to flee to the USA in 1940 just before the invasion of the German troops in the Netherlands. In exile he appeared on shortwave radio broadcasts for his homeland on behalf of the Dutch government in exile until he heard about the fate of his family members, many of whom were murdered by the Nazis . He could then no longer enter the stage.

But since he also had a talent for writing, he wrote texts for actors and singers such as Milton Berle , the Ritz Brothers , Jackie Miles , Jackie Gleason , Jan Murray , Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin . He also wrote a revue, "Fun For Your Money," which he produced and directed.

In 1948 he returned to the Netherlands as an American citizen, where he was enthusiastically received. He was immediately offered to sing in the largest theater in Amsterdam . Fuld hadn't stood on a stage for five years and was afraid of the performance, which turned out to be a great success. His contract was extended to six weeks. Engagements from all over the world followed.

During a guest performance of his revue in Paris, he visited a small Yiddish club. There he heard a survivor of the Warsaw ghetto sing a song that touched him deeply: “Where should I go?” (Vi ahin zol ich geyn?) . Fuld asked the composer for a copy and wrote the English text in England. Under the title "Where can I go?" he recorded the song for Decca Records ; With around 7.8 million records, it became his best-selling title. Fuld sang this song on television on the Milton-Berle Show, Perry Como and the Frank Sinatra Show, and stars like Ray Charles and Steve Lawrence added it to their repertoire. It also found enthusiasm and recognition from Billie Holiday , Al Jolson and Édith Piaf .

Tours have taken him to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, North Africa, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Europe. For ten weeks he stood on the stage of the Paris ABC theater with Edith Piaf. Emperor Haile Selassie engaged him for an appearance on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter in the imperial palace in Addis Ababa .

In 1956 he founded his own nightclub "Sabrah" in New York before moving to Las Vegas .

The singer came back to the Netherlands on his 80th birthday. With the producer Mohamed el-Fers and the arranger Kees Post he produced the CD "The Legend" for Hippo Records in 1996 . The CD contains his most famous Yiddish songs, this time in an oriental style. She earned him the nickname Sergeant Pepper of Yiddish Music (Abe Goldstein).

At the age of 84, Fuld married a fourth time. He died a year later in his home in Amsterdam.

Discography

• 1933 A Brievele der Mamme / I went home (Odeon)
• 1933 My Shtetl (Odeon)
• 1933 Rouman Kretch (Victrola)
• 1934 A Klesmer Yingel (Oi Mamme! Am I far-loving) (Victrola)
• 1934 My Yiddish Mama (Victrola)
• 1935 Oif'n pripetshik (Victrola)
• 1935 Fraitag oif the night (Victrola)
• 1935 Shein like the Lewon (Victrola)
• 1936 Yiddish ges'l (Odeon)
• 1936 Dos Pintele Yid (Victrola)
• 1936 Mo-me-le (Victrola)
• 1937 Az der Rebbe tantst (Victrola)
• 1937 The Siderel (Yiddele Briederel) (Victrola)
• 1937 Gesselach (Victrola)
• 1938 A Letter to My Mother / You're the Sweetest in the Land (HMV)
• 1939 My Yiddish Mame (Ariola)
• 1939 Resele (Victrola)
• 1939 My mother stayed in Hungary (Victrola)
• 1947 Where ahin I should geh'n ( Where can I go ), with the orchestra Bruce Campbell and Wardour Singers (Decca)
• 1947 Pigalle ( Homeland ), with the Lew Stone orchestra (Decca F 9187; Decca DR.13631)
• 1948 Wuss gewen is gewen ( I love You much too much ), with the Tuschinsky Orchestra (Elite Spezial 9080)
• 1948 A brivele der mamme / Der alter zigoiner , with the Lew Stone orchestra (Saturne 1055)
• 1948 Moshiah , with the Guy Luypaerts Orchestra (Saturne)
• 1950 Mosiach / Mein steitale (Arton, under license from Saturne; Hed Arzi 10919)
• 1950 Mazel / Wie ahein shall I go , with the Orchestra Guy Luypaerts and Grisha Farfel, trumpet (Hed-Arzi 855/13320 under license from Saturne)
• 1950 Zigany Melody / Miserlu , with Grisha Farfel, trumpet, and his orchestra (Melodisc 5019)
• 1951 Yaass / Pigalle (London 701)
• 1951 Oif'n Weg stands a Boim (Saturne)
• 1952 Misirlou (Vogue)
• 1952 Glik (Tikva)
• 1952 The old Tsigayner (Tikva)
• 1952 Bessarabia , with the Abe Ellstein (Hed-Arzi) orchestra
• 1952 A Sudenyu (Tikva)
• 1953 L´émigrant (Disque Columbia)
• 1953 Ikh zing (Tikva)
• 1954 In Concert , recording from the Ohel Shem Concert Hall in Tel-Aviv on July 26, 1954 (Vogue 25cm LP85)
• 1954 The Emigrant (Telefunken UX 4673)
• 1954 You got to have a little Mazl (Tikva)
• 1954 Leo Fuld sings Roumanische, Kretchme and other Yiddish Songs (Hataklit HI 25005)
• 1954 Joue tzigane / Le moulin tourne (Saturne FR 1034)
• 1954 Letter to my Mother / You're the sweet (London 827)
• 1956 Leo Fuld at the Tuschinski-Theater Amsterdam : Ca / The Sheikh of Araby / Tsigany Melody / My Jiddishe Mama (Telefunken hx-1012 ep)
• 1956 Ay je l'aime (Vogue EPL 7140)
• 1957 Leo Fuld with the Anton Kersjes orchestra : Der Emigrant / Oif'n Weg stands a Boim / Shein like Lewoneh / Because you are mine (Telefunken ux-4673 ep)
• 1958 Leo Fuld with Martin Roman and his orchestra (Simcha Records JLP 2)
• 1959 Poylish Yidl (Hataklit)
• 1960 Zigany Melody (Tikva)
• 1965 Rumaynisher Kretshme (Hataklit)
• 1965 Leo Fuld with orchestra conducted by Pi Scheffer (Embassy / CBS Israel 31188)
• 1965 Leo Fuld Chante en Français : Kaddish / Momele / Paris / La penombre (CBS 6311)
• 1967 A Yiddish Momme (Artone MDS S - 3022)
• 1967 Doina / Play Gypsies (Artone)
• 1970 A Yidische Momme (Vogue HJV 119)
• 1972 My Yiddish Mama (CBS)
• 1975 Dat kleine beetje geluk op aarde (European club)
• 1989 My jiddishe mamme (CNR 100.248)
• 1991 Shalom Israel (Columbia 4681322)
• 1997 God Zegen Nederland EP , his last song (Hippo Records 97001)
• 1997 The Legend , his last album (Hippo Records 97002)
• 1998 Chants Et Traditions Yiddish with Leo Fuld: Mosiagh / Dona, Dona, Dona (Disques Versailles 5099748955425)
• 1999 Leo Fuld - My Yiddishe Mama (Sony BMG)
• 2002 Shalom Israel (Sony BMG)
• 2002 Slavia The Songs of the East (2 CD box, Virgin)
• 2003 Leo Fuld Greatest Hits (Sony BMG)
• 2004 The Baby Boom Generation (3 CD box, with Leo Fuld: Where should I go ) (Livr. Belgique)
• 2005 My Yiddishe mama (Artone ART 2005006)
• 2006 Vi ahin sol ich gayn (Hatikvah Y LF 1010)
• 2006 Leo Fuld - Collections (Sony Music)
• 2007 Chansons de Maman , with Leo Fuld: Maman , fais dodo (Marianne Melodie)
• 2008 Yiddish songs , with Leo Fuld: Zigany melody and Yaas (Disques Office 91189)
• 2008 The Legend - Édition anniversaire (Hippo Records 97002)

Documentaries

• 1993 The International Singing Star Leo Fuld (Dutch TV)
• 1994 Ik zing de Wereld rond (Dutch television; screenplay: Leo Fuld)
• 1995 A Yiddish X-Mas in Amsterdam (Dutch television)
• 1996 The Legend (only a trailer for a TV series, script: Leo Fuld, Mohamed el-Fers)
• 1997 Leo Fuld in Kopspijkers (Dutch television)
• 1997 Fuld in Railand (Dutch TV)
• 1997 The King of Yiddish Music Meets Queen Beatrix (Dutch TV)
• 1997 Oif'm Weg stant mal a Boim - Goodbye Leo (Dutch TV)

Web links

• Page of Leo Fuld (English)

• Among the royalty of Yiddish music by Morton Gold (English)
• Linda Grant in The Guardian with a short biography of Leo Fuld further information (English)
• Songlines June 2006 review of The Legend CD (English; PDF file; 1.85 MB)
• His last CD The Legend (English)