Ruud Schapp, better known by his stage name Serge, is a Dutch singer who began his career with singer Trudy van den Berg, better known as Saskia, in 1967 when they won a talent contest organised by singer Max van Praag.
They adopted the stage name Saskia & Serge soon after their marriage in 1969 and came to international attention when they represented their home country at the 1971 Contest in Dublin with the song Tijd, which finished in sixth place.
After releasing several folk-themed albums, they changed direction in 1976 by releasing a successful country music-style album, "We'll Give You Everything", the title track from which was a top 10 hit. The album made them the first Dutch artists to appear at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Further hit singles followed, including "Mama, He's a Soldier Now" which became their biggest hit, peaking at #6 in 1980.
The duo has continued to release popular albums of both original material and cover versions. Their fifteenth studio album, "Mooie liedjes", came out in December 2008, consisting of new adaptations of well-known Dutch songs.
Eurovision Song Contest 1971 | |||
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