Controversial Dutch singer and actor Johannes Heesters dies at 108

Johannes Heesters, the Dutch-born singer and actor, died Dec. 24 at the age of 108. Heesters made a name for himself performing in Germany during Nazi-rule and spent the remainder of his career being criticized for performing before Adolf Hitler. He was considered one of the world’s oldest living performers.

According to the The Associated Press, agent Juergen Ross announced his death Sunday, although he did not name the exact cause.

Heesters was born in 1903 in the Netherlands, notes Agence France-Presse. He had his debut as a tenor in 1934 in Vienna, but it was not until a year later when his career exploded in Berlin, where he became a crowd favorite. He even appeared in several German films produced by the Nazis.

Heesters was never actually accused of spreading Nazi ideals, but because he was so beloved by them, his fellow Dutch natives criticized him during the war, especially since he was able to prosper while the Netherlands was under Nazi occupation. The Dutch held such contempt for him that he was even booed off stage in his first attempt to perform there in 1964 during a production of The Sound of Music.

As the AFP notes, he was finally able to perform in the Netherlands in 2008 and even then, he was met with protests.

Even after the Nazis were overthrown, he remained a popular performer in Germany. He performed in countless films and plays, including The Merry Widow, an operetta he performed in over 1,600 times.

He died at a hospital in Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany.