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Teddy Scholten
Teddy Scholten.jpg
Scholten in 1978
Background information
Birth name Dorothea Margaretha van Zwieteren
Also known as Thea van Zwieteren
Born (1926-05-11)11 May 1926
Rijswijk, Netherlands
Died 8 April 2010(2010-04-08) (aged 83)
The Hague, Netherlands
Occupation(s) Singer, presenter
Years active 1955–1975

Dorothea Margaretha "Teddy" Scholten (born van Zwieteren; 11 May 1926 – 8 April 2010) was a famous Dutch singer and TV presenter. She is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1959. She won with her song "Een beetje" while representing the Netherlands.

Teddy Scholten's Music Career

Early Performances and US Tour

Teddy Scholten started her singing career in the 1950s. In 1950, a big company called The Coca-Cola Company invited her to perform. She traveled to the United States for this special show. This made her one of the very first Dutch pop singers to perform in America.

Winning Eurovision: A Big Moment

In 1959, Teddy Scholten took part in the Nationaal Songfestival. This is a competition to choose who will represent the Netherlands at Eurovision. She won with her song "Een beetje" (which means "A little bit"). Willy van Hemert and Dick Schallies wrote this song.

Winning the Nationaal Songfestival meant she would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1959. This big music event was held in Cannes, France, that year. Teddy Scholten performed her song and won the entire competition! She received 21 points from the international judges. This was the second time the Netherlands had won Eurovision.

"Een beetje" Around the World

After her big win, "Een beetje" became very popular. Teddy Scholten recorded the song in several different languages. She sang it in French as "Un p'tit peu". She also recorded it in German as "Sei ehrlich". Other versions included "Un poco" in Italian and "Om våren" in Swedish.

Life After Eurovision

Teddy Scholten continued to have a busy career. She recorded many albums with her husband, Henk Scholten. A lot of these albums featured fun songs for children.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she was a familiar face on Dutch television. She appeared in many popular TV shows. In 1965 and 1966, she even hosted the Nationaal Songfestival. This was the same competition she had won years before.

Teddy Scholten passed away in The Hague on 8 April 2010. She was 83 years old.

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