André Hazes — The Voice of Amsterdam

You are standing in the heart of the Pijp neighbourhood, and if these streets could sing, they would sound a lot like André Hazes. Born on 30 June 1951 just around the corner at Gerard Doustraat 67, Hazes grew up here and spent much of his life wandering these same streets. Not bad for a kid who started out busking here at Albert Cuyp market, hoping passers-by would toss a few coins his way. 

Fame did not come overnight. Hazes worked various odd jobs before things finally clicked around 1976. His big break came when famous Dutch comedian and actor Johnny Kraaijkamp sr. spotted him singing at the market and liked what he heard. Smart man. Hazes went on to become the ultimate symbol of authentic Amsterdam music. His songs are still blasted in pubs and living rooms across the Netherlands whenever Ajax scores, which means his voice has technically celebrated more goals than most footballers ever will. 

He passed away on 23 September 2004, and his farewell tribute at the Amsterdam Arena drew nearly 6 million television viewers.