Frans Bauer was born in Roosendaal, The Netherlands, on 30 December 1973. He is a popular Dutch singer of the so called "levenslied" ("song about life"). He grew up in a trailerpark in Fijnaart. Already in his youth, Frans Bauer wanted to become a singer after he was inspired by Julio Iglesias, Elvis Presley and Koos Alberts (a Dutch singer). Bauer's own singing career started in 1987 when he recorded his first single, "Ben Je Jong" (Are You Young), under supervision of Dutch producers Rudi Schreijenberg and Emile Hartkamp. In January 1992 he met his later wife-to-be, Mariska van Rossenberg. He was a local celebrity before rising to national fame due to the national television show "All You Need Is love" in early 1992, where he was to choose two female fans for a date. In 1994 he had his first national hit with "Als Sterren Aan De Hemel Staan". In 1997 he conquered Germany with his album "Weil Ich Dich Liebe". Frans Bauer's fame kept growing to the point where he had his own reality show called "De Bauers", in which his daily life, including his family life, was followed. Bauer has also designed clothing for the Vroom & Dreesmann retail chain, based in The Netherlands. He has won several awards and honours in The Netherlands, including a knighthood ("Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau") due to his charitable work and the "Gouden Televizier-Ring" for the reality show that has been running on Dutch television the year previously. In 2006 he was struck by an infection on his vocal cords. He recovered after surgery.