	Lion started his musical career as singer of "Johnny and his Jewels", later named "The Jumping Jewels". They had a number-one hitsingle in the Netherlands with "Wheels" in 1961. He left the band in 1965 to focus on a solo career and subsequently delivered hitsingles "Sophietje", "Tjingeling" and "Alleen in Dallas". Sophietje was a Dutch translation of Swedish song "Fröken Fräken" and dedicated to Lion's then-girlfriend Sophie van Kleef.