Tom Manders
Artist
Songwriter
Vocalist
Tom Manders was a multitalented person, born in 1921. He was a painter, illustrator, comedian, cabaret performer and writer. He is best known under the stage name Dorus. Already at a young age, his talent for drawing became apparent. He attended the Royal Academy of Art in Den Haag for 3 years and was active, among other things, as an advertisement painter and designer of posters. Later he also designed decors for theatre and cabaret, regularly for Lou Bandy, Wim Kan and theatre Carré in Amsterdam.
During World War II, Manders had to work in Germany but after half a year, he fled from his job as a painter. Because of Wim Kan, Manders got the idea to start doing cabaret himself.
Starting in 1953, Manders was involved with the design of Carel Kamlag’s cafe Saint-Germain-des- Prés at the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam. Manders performed there himself as a vagabond, a role that would later become famous as Dorus. When VARA offered him an opportunity to perform on television, he had the cafe copied in the studio and started a successful show that would be broadcast for several years.
Between 1956 and 1962, Manders created tracks like ‘Twee Motten’, ‘Als Ik Wist Dat Je Zou Komen’ & ‘Bij De Marine’.
In 1971, he wrote a hit for De Havenzangers, ‘In De Hemel Is Geen Bier’.
