News of: Monday, February 14 2005,

Amsterdam Historical Museum opens Johnny and Jones showcase

The two Jewish jazz singers Johnny and Jones now have their own display in the Amsterdam Historical Museum.

The 2 boys (real names: Max Kannewasser and Nol van Wesel) became famous with their hit song 'Mijnheer Dinges, weet niet wat swing is!!', before the second World War.
This song is considered one of the milestones in Dutch light music.

When the war broke out, it became more difficult for them to play their 'entartete' ('degenerated') music, because of the increasing persecution of Jews. At the end of the war they were killed in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.
Even during their imprisonment they continued to sing (e.g. in Westerbork).