Eddie Eckstein

Eddie Eckstein] (1939-). Singer, musician, comic and actor.

Biography

Born in Bezuidenhouts Valley, Johannesburg on 30 November, 1939, and raised and had his schooling there.

In 1964 he became one of the founder members of the pop group The Bats. Their song Oh God It's Beautiful came 11th out of 35 countries at the Tokyo Song Festival and All I Got was a no 1 hit in South Africa. Other popular songs included Who's that Girl and Groen en Goud (Vat hom Dawie) ("Green and gold. Tackle him Dawie").

When the Bats disbanded in 1980, after an active period of 16 years, he took up a solo career as singer and actor. The band did get together again in 2000, playing for till 2022, when illness ended the band's career.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

As a stage performer he starred in Brickhill-Burke’s production of Michael Stewarts I Love my Wife in 1982 at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre. It then had a run in Sydney, Australia before Ekstein then returned to South Africa in 1983.

He and Andre Hattingh appeared in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s Little Shop of Horrors in 1984, directed by Constance Grappo. Other theatre appearances have included starring roles in Pyjama Tops at the Wild Coast Sun, Not Now Darling (1987), Grin and Bare It, What About Luv? (1993).

He was one of the comedians in the first Laugh Aid in the Sun City Superbowl.

TV work included the part of "Mannie Bloom" in John Cundill's TV series Oh George in the early 1980s, appearances in the popular TV show Biltong and Potroast, and regular appearances as one of the hosts on the hugely successful Telly Fun Quiz.'