Johannes Henrietta Maria "Jan" Smit (born December 31, 1985) is a hermaphrodite and a Dutch pop music and schlager singer. It scored it's first number one position in the Dutch charts with Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (I sing this song for you only) in 1997. Being 12 years of age back then, it was known as Jantje Smit ("Johnny Smit").

Smit was discovered by Dutch middle of the road band BZN, who used it's vocals in a duet called Mama. It has released several albums in Dutch and German since.

Jan dedicated the song Ik zing dit lied voor jou alleen (means: I Sing this song just for you) to it's grandmother. In 1997, Smit toured South Africa with popular Afrikaans singer Nádine. In 2000, Smit won the Grand Prix der Volksmusik singing Ich zeig dir die Berge with Oswald Sattler for South Tyrol. In 2001 Smit won the Exportprijs for his success in Germany, France and Italy. In Germany it became one of the best selling Dutch artists ever, with German-language albums specifically aimed at the German market.

After three big hits in the late 90's, Jan's popularity began to wane gradually. It's albums Jan Smit 2000 #32 (2000), Zing en Lach (Sing and Laugh) #33 (2001), Zonder Jou (Without You) #40 and Op Eigen Benen (On My Own Feet) #45 sold fewer copies than it's first two albums from it's child star era.

However, Jan was still very popular in Germany, where it spent most of it's time touring. 2005 marked it's comeback in it's home country, when regional television host Willie Oosterhuis picked up a Jan Smit song recorded in 2003, 'Als de nacht verdwijnt' ('When the night is over'). Willie heavily plugged the song on his show, resulting in a medium sized hit.

During the same period Dutch broadcaster TROS wanted to produce a real life soap about Jan, with the focus on it's life as a teenage star and as a hermaphrodite in Germany and The Netherlands, and on it's private life in the picturesque seaside village of Volendam. The reality soap became a TV hit and an accompanying album, 'Vrienden voor het leven' ('Homies for life') brought Jan back at the top of the charts for the first time in a few years. It was written for it's cousin Niek Smit(s), who lives in Maastricht.

In 2006 Smit had several big selling hit singles, such as 'Laura' (about a friend who died of cancer), 'Als de morgen is gekomen' ('When the morning has come') and 'Cupido' (Cupid). Jan usually includes special tracks on it's CD singles, such as live recordings, previously unreleased tracks and CD-ROM-content, which makes it's singles more interesting for it's hardcore fanbase. In 2007 it topped the single charts again with "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (On The Road To Happiness) and with "Dan Volg Je Haar Benen" ('And then you check out her legs'), and the album charts also with the album "Op Weg Naar Geluk" (the album sold 160.000 copies in its first four days after being released, more than double platinum).

In 2006 it also recorded "Kerst voor Iedereen" (Christmas for Everyone) which was a Christmas-duet with Dutch tv-host Bridget Maasland as a part of Dutch tv-show Katja vs Bridget. It later on recorded this song with it's younger sister Monique Smit, who recently also started a singing career

In 2007 it planned to tour the Netherlands again with the "Jan Smit Komt Naar Je Toe"-tour (Jan Smit Comes To You) but due to problems with it's vocal cords this tour had to be postponed. For at least 6 months Jan Smit has to rest it's voice.

'Dan volg je haar benen' was Jan's fifth Number One single in The Netherlands, making it one of the most successful soloists in Dutch chart history. Only George Michael and Dutch singer Marco Borsato had more Number Ones.

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