Biography

Bob Scholte was born in Amsterdam in a large Jewish family with eight children. His mother died when Bob was four years old, his father married again and five more children were born in this marriage. The family was poor and in 1909 his father moved everyone to Antwerp in search of a better life.

When the First World War began, the family returned to Amsterdam. Bob studied at the Jewish seminary and it was there that his vocal talent was revealed, which was noticed and soon brought him to the operetta "De Marskramer", where he received his first child's role. The performance was successful, and after a tour of the country he received the nickname "Little Caruso". He often performed solo in the legendary theater Top Tip. His childhood career ended with the onset of an awkward age, Bob had to get a job at a garment factory, but the love for music did not leave him - he continued to take singing lessons, playing drums and pianofortes.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Marta became pregnant, and on February 2, 1921, they had a son, Albert. Four months after his birth, Bob and Marta were married, and two years later on May 17, 1923 their daughter, Greetje (Margaretha) was born. In 1927, Bob got a job as a drummer in a dance orchestra. In 1928 he made his first gramophone album. In 1931, Scholte began working on AVRO radio and became a singer, performing with the orchestra of Kovacs Lajos. Several of his songs brought him truly national fame.

On February 21, 1941, the birthday of Bob, his son Albert was arrested by the Nazis, sent to a concentration camp in Mauthausen, where he died in October 1941. Greetje was also arrested and killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau in September 1942. The spouses managed to escape, but in the end, they were also arrested. Bob was in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Marta died in April 1945, Scholte was the only one of the family who survived the war.

After the war, he resumed his career. He returned to Amsterdam and married again in 1950. He worked on radio and performed a lot in Belgium. In 1966, Bob Scholte received the Golden Harp.

His wife died in 1975, and Scholte fell into depression. Very rarely did he continue to perform, mostly at Jewish festivals. Bob Scholte died on November 3, 1983.

After his death, his family created a prize for his name for Dutch singers.