Info: Poparchief Groningen General Ede Ulfert Staal was born on 2 August 1941 in the village of Warffum in the north of Groningen. The first instrument he played at the age of five was a mouth organ. Ede Staal grew up in Leens, where his grandfather was the conductor of the village brass band. Ede Staal played in this brass band for five years and participated in the music competition every year. Because he was going to study medicine in Groningen, he stopped playing the trumpet for quite some time. During his studies, it became clear that Ede Staal had more of an affinity with language. He changed his study programme and started studying English. After his studies, he worked as an English teacher at various schools in the province of Groningen. In his spare time, he prefers to write lyrics, mostly in English, for songs and makes entertainment music. He also worked for the Avro and provided English commentary for promotional films. In 1973, he wrote the song I'm in the blues. This became his first single, released by Phonogram. The song is not a success and Ede Staal leaves the commercial record industry behind him. The following two years he focuses more on language: Danish and East Frisian. During this period Ede Staal writes and composes a lot for his own study. He also writes poems. His first success with Groningen songs is at an anniversary of the rhetoricians' chamber "Oldambt". In 1981 Ede Staal's music is discovered by Engbert Gruben, an employee of Radio Noord. The song Mien Toentje becomes the signature tune of the vegetable garden section on Radio Noord. Mien Toentje becomes extremely popular within a short time and Ede Staal becomes the number one folk singer of Groningen. Despite the many requests for performances, Ede Staal rarely performs. In 1984 a record with four songs is released, entitled Man, man, man, wat 'n boudel. Mollebone Music, a label owned by himself and Klaas Staal (no relation) from Veendam, released their first LP entitled Mien Toentje in December 1984, featuring twelve songs from Groningen. The record became a great success, with a circulation that rose to a level of national success. In January 1985, Ede Staal fell ill and had to undergo a major operation. As a result, he was inactive for a considerable time. In November of that year, he had a successful performance at the Mollebone song festival in Delfzijl. Early in 1986, Ede Staal was given a regular column in Sloaperstil, a programme on Radio Noord. His stories were broadcast weekly on Sunday mornings on Radio Noord and a number of them appeared in the magazine Toal en Taiken. While his fame was increasing, it turned out that Staal was suffering from lung cancer. The operation a year earlier did not lead to a permanent recovery. On 22 July 1986, Ede Staal dies at the age of 44, after a short but successful artistic career, in his farm on the Farmsumerweg near Delfzijl. He is also buried there. Posthumous On 4 October 1986, a second LP by Ede Staal is released posthumously (As vaaier woorden). In the last months of his life, Staal plays an important part in the preparations. When the first copy is presented to his wife Fieke, a prize of 5000 guilders is established, which will be awarded every two years to someone who has made a special contribution (non-professionally) to the regional language in relation to radio. That same day, the K. ter Laan Prize from the 't Grunneger Bouk foundation is awarded posthumously to Staal. The second LP is just as successful as the first record. The poetic songs are often melancholic in atmosphere; they contain everyday observations that are combined in a light tone with humorous and serious reflections. Ede Staal has acquired cult status during his lifetime, but certainly since his death. Several hundred thousand copies of his CDs have been sold. His songs in the Groningen dialect are still often played on regional radio broadcasts and are a source of inspiration for various (regional) musicians. Ede Staal's music has gained national and international fame because several songs were used in the film De Poolse bruid. Ede Staal is also appreciated in Friesland and translated into Frisian by Sjoerd van der Leij and Joop van Dijk. Fifteen songs by Ede are included on Stiel sunder grinzen, Ede Staal yn é Fryske taal. (label: sjonge jonge, Stemra: SJOO0202) In 2001, a statue of the singer was unveiled in Delfzijl. The statue was designed by the Groningen artist Chris Verbeek: a ten-metre-high conical column with a stainless steel band wrapped around it with the lyrics of the song Credo - Mien bestoan. There is also a monument for him in Nieuwe Statenzijl, where Ede Staal lived for a while. The text of the song he wrote about the hamlet is placed on a plaque at the lock.