 Jacques Urlus was born to music-loving Dutch parents in the then-German, nowadays Belgian town of Hergenrath (now part of Kelmis) and grew up in Tilburg in The Netherlands.Since the family was poor, they could not afford a musical education for their son who had to work at a steel mill in Utrecht instead, singing in choirs in his free time.During military service an officer recognised his musical talents and offered to pay for his musical lessons.