Dutch entertainer, actor and singer. After his breakthrough in the
Netherlands, he has worked in Germany since 1965 and has gained
enormous popularity there.
His song "Wann wird`s mal wieder richtig Sommer?" (When will it be
summer again?) became a big hit in 1975 and was rediscovered during the
Easy Listening wave in the 1990s.
Lived in Syke near Bremen, Germany, with his third wife Simone. He had
three children from two prior marriages: Annemieke, Caroline, and
Alexander.
Won the Silver Rose of Montreux in 1964 for an episode of Die Rudi Carrell Show (1965)'s
Dutch original version starring Esther Ofarim as a mermaid. In 2001, he was
given the Honorary Rose for his lifetime achievements.
Received Germany's Cross of Merit for his achievements in German-Dutch
relations (1985).
A sketch about Ayatollah Khomeini on Rudis Tagesshow (1981) caused a diplomatic crisis between West Germany and Iran. Carrell came under threat from fundamentalists until he officially apologized (15 February 1987).