Frans Smit died of cancer

by Edwin van Gorp 2,703 views

Last Monday Frans Smit, the husband of Maggie MacNeal and co-author of Amsterdam, the song with which Maggie participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, died of cancer.

Smit was diagnosed with cancer last year. Inspite of an operation, his condition got worse in recent weeks. Last Monday Frans Smit died in the age of 54. His leaves his wife Sjoukje Smit (known as Maggie MacNeal, who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 and 1980) and their daughter behind.

Frans Smit was well known as a drummer in several Dutch bands like Brainbox, Cargo, September and ZZ en de maskers. He married Sjoukje van 't Spijker in 1973 and became the drummer in her band as well, after she broke up with Mouth. He also composed songs for her (like Amsterdam) and other artists (like Marionette, sung by Maribelle in the Dutch national final to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981, and Heel verliefd, sung by Gerard Joling in the Dutch national final to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988).

The above picture shows the group September in 1970. Frans Smit is on the left.