Overview (3)
| Born | in Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | in Brussels, Belgium |
| Birth Name | Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans |
Mini Bio (1)
Toots Thielemans was born on April 29, 1922 in Brussels, Belgium as Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans. He is known for his work on French Kiss (1995), Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Hard Rain (1998). He died on August 22, 2016 in Brussels.
Trivia (4)
He became a US citizen in 1957.
He is a master of the chromatic harmonica, and elevated it to a respected jazz instrument. He started out as a jazz guitarist.
Benny Goodman hired him for his band during its 1950 European tour. He also played and recorded with Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny, Shirley Horn, Dizzy Gillespie, and Quincy Jones.
His harmonica is heard in the theme songs to "Sesame Street" and "Midnight Cowboy", and many other film scores. He whistled the Old Spice deodorant commercial in the 1970s and '80s.
