Bobby John is the American artist name of Bobbejaan Schoepen (born Modest Schoepen, May 16, 1925, Boom, Antwerp), a Flemish singer, guitarist, composer, comedian, former actor, and founder of one of the Belgian theme park Bobbejaanland. At the end of the 1940s he is the first Belgian singer successfully to pursue an international career. Bobbejaan Schoepen introduced American Country music recordings to the masses of West Europe. He was one of the first European artists to have performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. ...show more

Bobby John is the American artist name of Bobbejaan Schoepen (born Modest Schoepen, May 16, 1925, Boom, Antwerp), a Flemish singer, guitarist, composer, comedian, former actor, and founder of one of the Belgian theme park Bobbejaanland. At the end of the 1940s he is the first Belgian singer successfully to pursue an international career. Bobbejaan Schoepen introduced American Country music recordings to the masses of West Europe. He was one of the first European artists to have performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

He is also well known for his highly accomplished professional and virtuoso whistling (which he lost due to a nerve injury). The career of Bobbejaan would always be hard to categorize. In general he can be typed as a "total performer" and entrepreneur. He is also famous for his speciale whistletechnique.

His catalogue stretches from cabaret, country, instrumental film music, over chansons to folk music. He sold about five million copies of the songs in this repertoire of almost 600 songs. His musical career decreased since the 1970s, when he got more focused on his theme park Bobbejaanland. In 43 years it grew out to the top of European amusement parks run by him and his family. ...show less