Eddy Wally
Eddy Wally | |
|---|---|
 Eddy Wally, "The Voice of Europe" (in concert), 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eduard Van De Walle |
| Also known as | Eddy Wally, "Wow!" Guy |
| Born | 12 July 1932 Zelzate, East Flanders, Belgium |
| Died | 6 February 2016 (aged 83) Zelzate, Belgium |
| Genres | Pop, schlager |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1959–2012 |
| Website | http://www.eddywally.be |
Eduard Van De Walle (12 July 1932 – 6 February 2016), known by his stage name Eddy Wally, was a Belgian schlager singer and actor from Zelzate, East Flanders, and the once self-proclaimed "Voice of Europe".[1]
As a crooner and showman, Eddy Wally toured worldwide, from China, to Australia, all of Europe and the United States, and even 24 tour dates in 1979 within the USSR.[2] As Eddy Wally was short, he tended to use outside chairs in his act.
Eddy Wally was best known for his song "Chérie"[3] which became a double-platinum hit.[4] Wally was also known for "Ik spring uit een vliegmachien" ("I'll jump out of an aeroplane"), and "Dans Mi Amor".
Attire and cultural iconography[edit]
On and off stage, Wally usually wore flashy, shiny, expensive outfits, characterized by a camp and kitsch style reminiscent of Liberace. In 2004, Eddy Wally's wardrobe was acquired by the Stedelijk Modemuseum van Hasselt, and was displayed under the title "Eddy Wally's Geweldige Garderobe". The exhibition comprised 115 custom made outfits, valued at up to $5,300 apiece.[5]
In October 2009, famed Belgian artist Kamagurka proclaimed:
Eddy Wally is pop art.[6]
It's still discussed whether or not Eddy Wally was a stereotype. Jan Van Rompaey, a former host of many human interest programs and talkshows on Belgian television, interviewed Wally many times. According to him, Wally had a limited vocabulary and was not a stereotype, although he exaggerated his eccentricity. Kamagurka reached a similar conclusion and insinuated Wally acted strange "because people expected this from a famous person". Kamagurka also revealed Wally had some kind of dyslexia and wrote all of his lyrics in his own phonetic transcription language. Wally also had trouble learning scripted lines, even the most simple ones.[7]
Wally was also known for a video posted on YouTube in 2007 by a person from the community of him exclaiming "Wow" and winking. This had gained worldwide recognition and had become a meme, which many other YouTube users began to use in their videos for comedy.[8][9]
The novelist Deborah Bishop is currently writing Wally's biography 'Wow!'.
Background[edit]
Eddy Wally's first job was a market trader selling handbags. In the 1960s, he became popular after his association with Dutch producer Johnny Hoes. He even had his own disco "Chérie-Paris Las Vegas", first known as "Eddy Wally's Texas Bar".
Eddy Wally used to be a regular feature on the UK television programme Eurotrash, where he was renowned for his eccentric dress sense.
Honours[edit]
- A main-belt asteroid is named after Eddy Wally (9205 Eddywally).[10] It is in orbit around the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
- Knight of the Order of Leopold, by Royal Decree of 2005.[11]
Death[edit]
Eddy Wally died on 6 February 2016, aged 83, following a stroke.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ "All it takes in the eurovision song contest". 3minutes.me. Retrieved 25 February 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "L'Echo: Eddy Wally, l'icône de la chanson flamande" (in French). Lecho.be. 21 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ "Cherie" (in French). Muziekarchief.be. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ "E.Wally Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ "Showkostuums van Eddy Wally tentoongesteld in Hasselt" (in Dutch). Hbvl.be. 10 September 1999. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ "Eddy Wally is popart". De Standaard (in Dutch). 31 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ Van Gils & gasten - episode aired on Monday 8th of February 2016 on Eén
- ^ "Eddy Wally scoort ook internationaal, met internetmeme". deredactie.be (in Dutch). 7 February 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Don (19 November 2014). "Eddy Wally's "Wow"". Know Your Meme. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ "Minor Planet Names: Alphabetical List". Cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ^ "Cobra.be video: Ridder Eddy Wally (2005)". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Eddy Wally (83) is overleden". HLN.be. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
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External links[edit]
- Eddy Wally at IMDb
- Official website (in Dutch).
- Link to Eddy Wally Soundboard for Iphone
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