Editing André Hazes (section)

===1970s===
Hazes pursued several odd jobs (ordinary seaman, flower delivery boy, chimney sweep, butcher's apprentice, bicycle repairman, trench digger, construction worker, demolition man, market salesman, and disc jockey) before building up a reputation as a singing barman in his hometown, in café De Krommert on the Witte de Withstraat.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222081625/http://www.west.amsterdam.nl/actueel/canon-west/andre-hazes-zingende/ "André Hazes, the singing bartender of café de Krommerdt at the Witte de Withstraat"] Stadsdeelkrant Amsterdam West (Dutch)</ref> In 1976 he wrote and demoed "Eenzame Kerst", a song about a prisoner's lonely Christmas, for singer [[Willy Alberti]] hoping that he would record it; Alberti suggested that Hazes record it himself. The single sold 70,000 copies in three weeks and made him an instant star.<ref name=Nauta/>

An album, ''Zo is het leven'' ("Such is life")<ref name=Nauta/> was released in 1977 and reached the Dutch top 20; extracted singles "Mama" and "De Vlieger" didn't chart although the latter became a Dutch [[Standard (music)|standard]] (and a top 40 hit second time round) in years to come. Still, he returned to bartending.<ref name=Nauta/>