Anny Andersen(1938-2014)

Anny Andersen - spelled Anni Anderson later on - is a Belgian singer and actress, born Regina Hendrickx in Geel, Belgium on June 4, 1938. Anni grew up in the city of Antwerp. At an early age, working as a shop assistant, she wanted to become a singer. Her father filled in a form to enter a television talent show called 'Ontdek De Ster' ('Discover The Star'). Entering - and winning - one of the first shows of this kind ever, back in November of 1956, meant the big break for the 18-year-old singer. Anny Andersen was born. She acted in a few television-plays subsequently: 'Wat Doen We Met De Liefde?' ('What About Love?') in 1957 and in 1958 'Het Geluk Komt Morgen' ('Love Will Come Tomorrow'). In 1959 she had a hit song in Belgium with 'De Accordeon'. She chose to be a singer after all and performed in many Belgian tv-shows. By the end of the 1960s, she aimed at an international career and therefore she decided to turn her name from Anny Andersen into Anni Anderson, the name under which she became most popular. She started touring with a band. At first in The United Kingdom for two years. Ultimately she went to Las Vegas and performed in a nightclub called Thunderbird for four years on a regular basis. Anni proved to be an appealing 'show star', singing and performing Broadway musical songs and 1950s standards. A guest singer in one of her U.K. shows - also from Belgium, by the name of Maurice Dean - became her husband later on. Together they traveled all over the world with their Dean-Anderson Show, for about 40 years. In 2010 she stopped performing. She died one day after her 76th birthday, after a long period of illness.