British singer-songwriter John Makin dies in Brussels

John Makin or Mister John was a British expat who lived in Brussels. He grew up in the area of Liverpool, but moved to Brussels in the seventies, working in the property valuation sector. In 1976 he became a full-time musician, releasing his first album "Urban Romance".

John Makin made it into the Belgian hit parade in the late nineties as Mister John with his hit "Potverdekke! It's great to be a Belgian" which was in the charts for 26 weeks.

Mister John wrote the song together with a couple of Belgian friends. At the time of the Dutroux child abduction case, this was a cheerful song about the Belgian identity and about what Belgium has to offer.

The people loved it, and John Makin gained nationwide celebrity in Belgium. In 1998, he was asked to perform this song on the occasion of the celebrations for the Belgian National Holiday. Mister John even made an appearance on CNN. 

The song was his biggest success. John Makin leaves a wife and two sons from a first marriage behind. The cremation service will take place in Vilvoorde on Monday.