Johnny Bode

Sound

1912-01-06 · Falköping, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

Johnny Bode was a Swedish composer, singer and entertainer. At time, he was very successful in Sweden and Europe. Yet he is today almost completely forgotten. His life was so overwhelming, glamorous, fast and bizarre. So un-Swedish. Johnny Bode made his recording debut at 17. "A Gentleman in Tails" written together with Hasse Ekman, for Gösta Ekman senior, was an early hit for Johnny as a composer. He lived constantly over his assets. He became fascinated by the nazism. Was arrested by the Gestapo and detained at Grini concentration camp in Norway. For five weeks. After the war he moved to East Berlin and proclaimed himself a dear friend of the GDR. Later he was deported and returned to Sweden. A time of fencing and small crimes followed. Escaped to Brussels at first and later Vienna. He was, as Juan Delgada, hired by the Vienna Opera to create new operettas. And was very successful. Johnny Bode died exhausted alone and abandoned in Malmö during the summer of 1983.