Trivia

He was well known in the Netherlands for his live performances and appearances in Dutch popular media.

His prominent role in the cultural life of Rotterdam earned him the nickname "night mayor of Rotterdam.

He was a Dutch poet, spoken word poet and writer. His poems cover topics such as life in the city of Rotterdam, drug use, and jazz.

He collaborated with musicians and bands such as Herman Brood, Benjamin Herman and Bas van Lier to record and perform his poetry.

Deelder also wrote scripts for the comic book series Amber en Akka and Professor Hilarius, drawn by Rob Derks. He furthermore inspired a celebrity comic of his own, Juul Deeldert, drawn by Vick Debergh.

The poems in Junkers 88 (1983) and Portret Van Olivia De Havilland (Portrait of O.d.H.; 1985) especially exemplify his style, based on Dada and Beatnik forebears.

In 1962, having just completed his HBS (secondary school), he made his debut with the poem 'Straat' (Street).

In 1968, together with his then girlfriend Roselie Peters (with whom he met Jimi Hendrix in 1967) and school friends Peter Snoey and Rob Peters, he formed the Schlager Company of the Hyacinth. The group managed to get a record contract with Bovema and on 28th November presented their first single 'We Were as Happy as My Uncle Ray'.

Adopting the pseudonyms Youssouph Ben Houpla (Rob Peters) and Julian the Joint (J.A. Deelder) the duo Peters and Deeelder, published the booklet ABC For The Enjoyment of Marihuana.

After his graduation he studied for his Dutch teacher trainer certificate for a while and travelled for the first time, to Spain, Italy and Britain, amongst others. To be able to afford these and make a living he had all sorts of jobs, such as assistant stock-trade reporter for a bank, porter with a courier company (Van Gend & Loos) and at various vegetable markets, dock worker, classifier and more besides, yet even then he was a poet at heart.

As his performances on stage are based on both speed and volume of pop music, his work is on par with popular British punk poet John Cooper Clarke and reggae poets Benjamin Zephaniah and Linton Kwesie Johnson.

He started writing when he was 11 years old - his first poem: 'Hoort, men werpt een atoombom.' (Hark, an atom bomb is being thrown).

Through all his travels past the country's youth centres, literary bars, community centres, manifestations, poetry nights and festivals, Deelder always managed to stay controversial. He is regularly catapulted with bottles of beer, spat at and called a fascist by punks. Deelder was never easily put off, which alongside fierce opposition also results in a strong fan base.

In 1977 Deelder debuts on television in Stadslicht (City Light), a documentary about Rotterdam made by Bob Visser for the VPRO broadcasting company, in which Deelder recites the eponymous poem. The following season he went on to present punk show Neon, also for the VPRO. Not everyone is delighted with Deelder's razor-sharp delivery and after only 8 shows this youth programme is abandoned.

He had his breakthrough with 'Poetry in Carré', the first large-scale poetry festival in The Netherlands, organized by Simon Vinkenoog on 28th February 1966, where two thousand people watched readings by Deelder, Johnny van Doorn, Louis Th. Lehmann, Gust Gils, Adriaan Roland Holst, Gerard Reve, Remco Campert, C. Buddingh', Gerrit Kouwenaar, Jan Hanlo, Jan G. Elburg, Adriaan Morriën, Koos Schuur, Vinkenoog himself, K. Schippers, C. Nooteboom, Ed. Hoornik, Hans Verhagen, Bert Voeten, J. Bernlef, Dick Hillenius, Hugues C. Pernath, Ewald Vanvugt and Jaap Harten.

In 1982 Jules Deelder and Rien Vroegindeweij wrote the script for Bob Visser's first feature-length film Het Veld Van Eer (Field of Honour). Deelder also had a small role in this movie.

Following Deelder, artists like Bart Chabot, Ton Lebbink, Deelder's school friend Casper van den Berg and in Flanders Tom Lanoye, all took to the stage with their work.

He also translated work by British playwright Jim Cartwright ('Road', 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice' and 'Two').

In 1963 he initiated the Nieuw Vormgevend Gezelschap (New Creative Company) and organised a variety of jazz & poetry happenings, with performances of poetry being read, a spastic ballet piece and a composition for whisk, grate and a book opening and snapping shut.

For a brief spell he was also the lead singer in the guitarless beat group The Addicts. They only had two songs on their repertoire: Hallelujah, I'm a Bum, a British song from the depression, and a song from the first Stones album: 'Can I Get a Witness'.