Jacob Truedson Demitz

Jacob Truedson Demitz

Demitz at his Mae West Centenary dinner given at Berns in Stockholm, Sweden, August 17, 1993
Background information
Birth name Lars-Erik Jacob Ridderstedt
Also known as Lars Jacob
Born (1948-08-13) August 13, 1948
Origin Sweden, United States
Genres Entertainment director, writer
Years active 1961–present
Associated acts AlexCab, Wild Side Story, Westites & Maeniacs, CabarEng

Jacob Truedson Demitz (born Lars-Erik Jacob Ridderstedt on August 13, 1948[1]) is a Swedish-American writer and entertainment director who wrote a 1996 book about Scandinavian kings and, as Lars Jacob,[2] has directed hundreds of underground cabaret shows in the United States and Europe since 1972. He grew up in Illinois, returned to Sweden and later lived for extended periods in Florida and California.

Origin and names

Demitz was born in Örebro, Sweden,[1] the son of singer Birgit Ridderstedt and C. Erik Ridderstedt,[3] and first arrived in the United States as an infant, then living in and near Chicago until the age of 13. Through his father's crafts-and-gifts import business and his mother's entertainment ventures he was inspired early in an inter-cultural environment.[4]

Not wanting to be mistaken for a cleric uncle also called Lars Ridderstedt, who had gained notoriety in Sweden,[5] he decided in 1969 to use Jacob as his first name of address. After noticing for many years the problems Americans had in using his parents' last name, he adopted the surname of Demitz in 1980,[6] the original name from 1693 of the extinct House of Ridderstedt before nobility,[7] and he was the first in 300 years to change his name back.[6]

His patronymic Truedson added in 1990, stems from a Scanian great-great-grandfather Trued Abrehamsson,[8] whose lineage has been traced back to the 1640s when the area and the family were Danish, and whose descendants outside of Europe inhabit many of the United States today.[9]

Writer's career

Throne of a Thousand Years (ISBN 91-630-5030-7)[10][11] had more than 30 years of research by Demitz before it was published in 1996, appreciated particularly for its English-language name forms for Swedish royalty and a lack of nationalism.[12] The book fulfilled collection requirements as a reference work and was included as such at more than 180 libraries,[13] including the national libraries of 73 countries.[14] It has been out of print since 2001.

Demitz when photographing royalty portrayed on the medieval altar at St. Canute's Cathedral in Denmark in 2009.

Demitz's 500-volume historical library was accepted in advance for posthumous donation to the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library at Gustavus Adolphus College, making him a member, as of 2005, of the college's Gustavus Heritage Partnership,[15] named for King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden.

An STIM member since 1970, Demitz has scripted and directed Max von Sydow[16] for television in English and written special lyrics for major corporations. He has also done a regular half-page editorial column in 1996–1997 for Nya Ludvika Tidning[17] plus numerous other articles for selected press[18] and information websites like Find A Grave.

Demitz's published song lyrics started with a record album for EMI in 1970 which had good reviews,[19] and a single for Odeon the following year, that both included his Swedish version of Burt Bacharach's "Close to You".[20] Other adaptations include "Santa Baby", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (both in Swedish), and an original company song in English for SAS Group called "Flying Time".[21]

He also has written as a human rights activist, and his complaints led to the censure of one of the Sweden's top judges in 1993, over erased trial tapes of testimony,[22] and in 1995 to a nationally publicized debate[23] over the use of young children to sell lottery tickets, commented on by a Cultural Minister in agreement.

In later years, Demitz has reviewed and rewritten English text for Swedish individuals and organizations, including Karolinska Institutet in 2005.[24] From 2013 to 2014 CabarEng published recordings featuring over 50 of his song lyrics (also in 2015 a list of them)[25] in Swedish, as well as special underground cabaret lyrics in English, mainly with Yaiya Sacasios and other young members of the group, and in a few cases more established personalities like Kim Anderzon,[26] Gunvor Pontén[27] and Christer Lindarw.[28] As a lyricist, he has cooperated in creating text to their melodies with composers such as Ian Whitcomb, John Groves,[29] Berndt Egerbladh and Harald Lindell, and has collaborated occasionally with Örjan Ramberg and other co-writers on the lyrics.

Entertainment

Lars Jacob and his AlexCab cabaret ensemble at Alexandra's in Stockholm, September 1975
James Brown and disc jockey Lars Jacob in Tampa in 1972

Demitz debuted as a solo singer at the age of nine in one of his mother's programs on WTTW,[30] was active in music and drama in school and began mainstream stage performances in a short-lived Swedish musical in 1968.[31]

Having graduated Studentexamen that year at Mörby Läroverk (a junior college) in Danderyd, Sweden, specializing in languages and the musical arts, he desired within two years to cross the Atlantic again and moved to Florida. Attracting interest as a model of free-spirited European youth, he appeared in Tampa Bay area press[32] and in 1972 as a featured guest on the talk shows of Herb Hunt[33] and George Michelle.[34]

A Stockholm disc jockey[35] and dance leader in the early 1970s, as Lars Jacob, Demitz choreographed disco scenes in an avant-garde motion picture More from the Language of Love.[36]

Returning there from Florida, he soon was Director of Entertainment for Sweden's nightclub queen Alexandra Charles and in 1975–1976 put on celebrated shows for her[37] and in Gothenburg[38] that he had created earlier in Miami Beach. Fans of his decadent cabarets included the members of ABBA and tennis champion Björn Borg,[39] who saw rambunctious new ground broken in domestic Swedish entertainment.[40]

Lars Jacob’s mimical spoof Wild Side Story ran more than 500 times (1973–2004) in Florida, Sweden,[41] California[42] and Spain.[43]

Demitz hosted a formal celebrity dinner at Berns on the Mae West Centennial in 1993.[44] A month later his intended show extravaganza was cancelled there because of new demands from the restaurant due to insufficient sales of the SEK 1,000 tickets.[45]

That same year and in 1995 he did some of his most appreciated performances as the "Preacher" in an outdoor musical event called Farmer's Wedding (by August Söderman) performed in his mother's native town of Ludvika[46] and at the Stockholm Water Festival[47] in the royal Kungsträdgården park.

FamSAC's Trued Family reunion led by Jacob Truedson Demitz in Blair, Nebraska on June 3, 2007

For a youth project called Läckerhetsvakten (a pun on 'security guard' for youthful health and attraction), the F.U.S.I.A. cabaret school (1998–2005) where Demitz was the creative director, from the hands of Alice Bah (as of 2014 Swedish Minister of Culture and Democracy) got one of Skandia's "Ideas for Life" grants in 2001.[48] The school was founded by Demitz and Agnes Källström.

He has also lived in Salzburg, Austria where his voice was schooled in 1968–1969 by Grete Menzel,[49] has English and Swedish as primary languages and speaks fluent German, French and Spanish plus dialects and phrases of a number of other tongues.[32] Being multilingual, and his entertainment background, worked for Demitz in 1999–2000 at the 5-star Palm Oasis resort (belonging to Interval International) on Grand Canary, where he became a successful timeshare agent and defended ethical practices only in that field. The work drew severe criticism anyway from press[50] in Sweden, where all forms of timeshare have had bad publicity and have been frowned upon.

Eurovision Song Contest winner (2015) Måns Zelmerlöw and Lars Jacob (director of the CabarEng ensemble), in Stockholm in 2010

Since 2005 he is Chairman of nonprofit foundation Southerly Clubs[51] and since 2006 Deputy Chairman of FamSAC,[52] an international society of some 5,000 relatives, among them Stanley M. Truhlsen, Mattias Klum, Erland Brand and Siri von Reis. Demitz has arranged and hosted international family reunions and commemorations, some of them large, in the Swedish capital and provinces of Sudermania, Scania[53] and Dalecarlia[54] as well as in New York City, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wyoming.

For the CabarEng ensemble,[55] from 2009 until his retirement in 2013, Lars Jacob directed Tuesday night cabarets such as CaCa Bleu[56] and ÄngelCab (2013)[57][58] in Stockholm. He went on tour in 2011 with the group doing A Tribute Westward and Cabaret Large A-Cup[59] at venues in Manhattan, Washington DC, Annapolis and Boston.[60] In retirement he is still consulted by cabaret groups and occasionally writes or lectures as a freelance inter-cultural communicator.

Lars Jacob's ensembles, recording projects and cabaret orchestras have included Logan Carter (stage debut 1972), Thomas Dellert Dellacroix (stage debut 1975), Anders Eljas (debut as band leader 1975), Steve Vigil (stage debut 1975), Christer Lindarw (stage debut 1976), Ulla Jones, Graham Tainton, Christina Schollin, Berndt Egerbladh, Camilla Henemark, Johanna Lind (TV debut 1993), Chesty Morgan (band), Max von Sydow, Jimmie Kersmo (stage debut 1998), Helena Mattsson, Mohombi Moupondo (stage debut 2002), Yaiya Sacasios, Kim Anderzon, Gunvor Pontén, Hans E. Wallman and Kjerstin Dellert. He lived with Vigil from 1974 to 1982.

Awards

Demitz with his front desk staff in Beverly Hills in 1982

Formally, Jacob Truedson Demitz wears The Beverly Hills Hotel's five-year gold pin, from work 1976–1984 as Front Desk Manager and Duty Manager there,[41] and a small decoration awarded in 1993 for various deeds in his Dalecarlian motherland by Sveriges Hembygdsförbund.[61] The latter is the Association of Swedish Homelands and has over 1,900 homeland societies from all parts of that country as member organizations.

With Dustin Hoffman on the set of Lenny in Fort Lauderdale in 1974

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacob Truedson Demitz.
  1. 1 2 Swedish Tax Authority's Skatteverket public records
  2. ↑ Given in several quotes in entertainment references below
  3. ↑ Expressen, July 19, 1953, p. 3.
  4. ↑ Chicago Tribune, October 10, 1985, p. 4:14.
  5. ↑ Swedish Wikipedia: sv:Lars Ridderstedt
  6. 1 2 Sälgström, Karl-Gösta (May 23, 1989). Dala-Demokraten, p. 18.
  7. ↑ Sveriges Ridderskaps och Adels Kalender 1936. Stockholm: Bonniers. p. 907.
  8. ↑ Kristianstadsbladet, May 9, 1989, p. 11
  9. ↑ "Descendants of Abrehamsson, Trued". FamSAC of Stockholm & Blair. Retrieved January 18, 2008. Descent especially through his immigrant son Niels Truhlsen (1847–1921), daughter Anna Hansen (1851–1922) and grandson John Ridderstedt (1875–1952); note: residence is listed on each individual descendant's page, the site has no geographical tables yet.
  10. ↑ "Throne of a thousand years". Library of Congress. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  11. ↑ Scandinavica 36: 283. 1997. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ Kyhle, Lars (May 29, 1997). Dala-Demokraten, p. 3. Swedish: "Det roligaste – för rolig är den – är nog kunga- och drottningnamnen i den engelska delen. Dessutom är det uppfriskande och för många nynationalister mycket nyttigt att se vår stolta historia genom främmande ögon." English: "What's the most fun – because fun it is – is probably the names of kings and queens in the English part. It is also refreshing and for many new nationalists very beneficial to see our proud history through foreign eyes."
  13. ↑ "Throne of a Thousand Years, All About the 1996 Book". Ristesson Files. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  14. ↑ q. v. through Internet where each national library's catalogue is available online
  15. ↑ Gustavus Heritage Partnership Membership 2009 (catalogue) published by Gustavus Adolphus College p. 4; Commons:Image:Gustavus Partnership JTD.jpg
  16. ↑ Rosencrantz-Bergdahl, Karin. (February 10, 1996). Nya Ludvika Tidning, p. 8. Swedish: "... Anders Zorn. Jacob regisserade den nya inspelningen med Max von Sydow." English: "... Anders Zorn. Jacob directed the new taping with Max von Sydow."
  17. ↑ February 12, 1996 p 2, February 22, 1996 p 2, April 15, 1996 p 2, June 17, 1996 p 2, August 12, 1996 p 2, October 3, 1996 p 2, October 7, 1996 p 2, December 2, 1996 p 2, February 3, 1997 p 2, April 7, 1997 p 2, June 7, 1997 p 2, November 24, 1997 p 2, December 30, 2000 p 2 (Debatt)
  18. ↑ Språktidningen, June 2008, p. 78.
  19. ↑ Aftonbladet December 21, 1970 p 28
  20. ↑ LP # E 062-34245 and single # A72-0154 at SLBA.se both performed by Mia Adolphson
  21. ↑ The 4 lyrics mentioned in the paragraph are registered with STIM as works # 550101, 1624022, 7677932 & 185670 verifiable through a free log-in procedure for members, a paid log-in for non-members or by emailing STIM
  22. ↑ Decision published by The Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman for Justice (JO) on December 7, 1993, and related media coverage based on a Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå article the next day
  23. ↑ Expressen September 15, 1995, cover story
  24. ↑ Ehrs, Per Olof (2005). (PDF). Stockholm, Sweden: Karolinska Institutet: 41. Retrieved 2008-12-18. Missing or empty |title= (help); |contribution= ignored (help)
  25. ↑ CabarEng Acknowledgements on YouTube
  26. ↑ YouTube
  27. ↑ YouTube
  28. ↑ YouTube
  29. ↑ Polydor – 2379 173
  30. ↑ TV Guide, June 6, 1959, p. A-38
  31. ↑ Expressen April 5, 1968 p. 17
  32. 1 2 Perry Fulkerson (November 11, 1971) "Lars Jacob speaks [besides English as in the interview] Swedish, fluent French, German, Danish, Norwegian, Spanish and some Russian ... Besides having been a disc jockey in some of the major discothèques, Lars Jacob has been a free lance model, a dancer and an actor, not to mention a bit of work in song writing." St. Petersburg Evening Independent, The Scene (entertainment section), cover & p. 14D-15D; follow-up story Nov 24 "Lars Jacob Ridderstedt a Swedish disc jockey featured in The Scene two weeks ago, presented Richard Carpenter with a tape of some of Carpenter's music ... translations [Jacob] made for European records."
  33. ↑ (Herbert R. Hunt a.k.a. Johnny Rebel), Open Mike November 1, 1971, WLCY Radio Tampa, now under WTSP and WWMI "We have a special program this evening. It's what is known as an inside program in the business. Radio people are going to enjoy it, anyway, and I'm sure all of you will as well. And my guest is Jacob Ridderstott [sic, name issue straightened out in following conversation] who was a disc jockey in Sweden.", audio tape on file
  34. ↑ Today in Florida on WFLA-TV Channel 8 Tampa
  35. ↑ VeckoRevyn (Stockholm), September 1, 1971 p 20 "discjockeyn Lars Jacob Ridderstedt, ledande man bland huvudstadens innefolk (disc jockey Lars Jacob Ridderstedt, leading man of the in crowd of the capital city)"
  36. ↑ 7 minutes & 28 seconds into the film, which can be rented easily in Sweden (2008), there is a choreographed disco dance scene of just under 2 minutes length featuring Lars Jacob and his group of 8 dancers from discothèque Mia in Stockholm; recent photos of him viewing this on a television screen are at Commons:File:Language Love Grp & LJ1adj.JPG & Commons:File:Language Love Grp & LJ2adj.JPG; the exact address of the film set and names of other participants are given here Commons:File:Language Love Dance Grp.JPG
  37. ↑ Re: Lisbeth Borger-Bendegard (September 14, 1975 p. 20) "Man borde vara två Alex[andra] och Lars Jacob ... cabaré specialdesignad för stället och dess publik av Lars Jacob. Lars Jacob har förflutet som disc jockey och eftersom endast det bästa är gott nog åt dagens unga män lät han sätta upp sin första show i Miami Beach (It is well to be two Alex[andra] and Lars Jacob... cabaret specially designed for the place and its audience by Lars Jacob. Lars Jacob has a past as a disc jockey and since only the best is good enough for the young men of today he produced his first show in Miami Beach)" Svenska Dagbladet's section I vimlet
  38. ↑ Pseud. Lasse (November 21, 1975) "Jubelshow!... härlig krogshow... många genomarbetade och proffsiga nummer... nummer var burleska på gränsen till det dekandenta, men alltid roliga... skickliga imitationer... efter den här cabareten ska Lars Jacob sätta upp en parodi på West side story (Show of cheers!... wonderful nightclub show... many professional numbers well worked through... the numbers were burlesque verging on decadent, but always fun... skillful imitations... after this cabaret Lars Jacob is going to put on a parody of West Side Story)" Göteborgs-Tidningen (Gothenburg) p 16
  39. ↑ Alexandra on the Rocks by Alexandra Charles (Stockholm 1986), ISBN 91-7684-105-7 p 60-61 re: Lars Jacob & his shows; p 66-67 re: Agnetha Fältskog & Björn Ulvaeus as regulars; p 95 & 101 re: Anni-Frid Lyngstad & Benny Andersson as regulars; p 114 re: Andersson & Ulvaeus as regulars; p 112-113 re: Björn Borg as regular; p 18 & 45 re: King of Sweden as regular.
  40. ↑ Kalle Westerling (Normal, Stockholm, 2006) La Dolce Vita ISBN 978-91-85505-15-9 (the ISBN printed in the book—978-91-855805-15-9—is invalid) extensive coverage of decadent new show types by Lars Jacob p 20-22, pictures p 80b
  41. 1 2 Eva Norlén (July 21, 1997) "Åtta handplockade artister lovar en helvild kväll" Aftonbladet p 37 [from article:] "Lars Jacob huserade på legendariska Alexandra på 70-talet med storslagna shower. Han började 1973 i Miami Beach och jobbade med kubanska flyktingar, satte upp shower här 1976, fortsatte sedan i Los Angeles tills han började sitt jobb med chefsposition på Beverly Hills Hotel (Lars Jacob was housed with his grand scale shows at legendary Alexandra in the 70's. He began in 1973 in Miami Beach and worked with Cuban refugees, put shows on here in 1976, then continued in Los Angeles until he began working in an executive position at The Beverly Hills Hotel)"
  42. ↑ Michael Kearns (November 30, 1979) "When told 'this is going to be the most unusual thing you've ever seen,' I wanted to respond 'You don't know what I've seen!' However after seventy-five outlandish minutes of Wild Side Story, I concede. ... this new wave production is attracting a cult following including celebrities too numerous to mention." San Diego Update (California), L.A. Life section p 13
  43. ↑ Island Connections (Los Cristianos), April 7, 2000 p 2 "Lars [Jacob's] background is show business and hotels. With a theatrical career spanning nearly three decades and connections with stars like Londoner Danny La Rue and actor Max von Sydow."
  44. ↑ Betty Skawonius (August 18, 1993). "Mae West långt före sin tid. Sexsymbolens hundraårsjubileum firas på Berns". Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm). p. B03. [from article:] "Mannen som vill fira Mae West med en artistdag på Berns för tusen kronor kuvertet heter Lars Jacob. (The name of the man who wants to celebrate Mae West with a day of performers at Berns for a thousand SEK per seat is Lars Jacob)"
  45. ↑ "Mae West för dyr för stockholmare (Mae West too Expensive for Stockholmers)". Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm). September 14, 1993. p. B04. [from article:] "Enligt Jacob ställde Berns i förra veckan ett krav på 50 000 kronor i förskott från ensemblen. Eftersom det var omöjligt att få fram denna summa fick föreställning ställas in (According to Jacob, Berns last week demanded SEK 50 000 in advance from the ensemble. Since it was not possible to raise that sum the show had to be cancelled)."
  46. ↑ Dala-Demokraten August 3, 1993 p 17
  47. ↑ Nya Ludvika Tidning June 15, 1995 p 8 "...prästen spelad av Lars Jacob med en övertygelse som gör att man verkligen ifrågasätter om han egentligen inte är präst i det civila (... the preacher played by Lars Jacob with such conviction that it makes one wonder if he isn't really a preacher in civilian life)."
  48. ↑ Diploma at Commons:File:FUSIA Skandia Grant 2.JPG and photo from ceremony at Commons:File:FUSIA Skandia Grant.jpg
  49. ↑ Photo at: Commons:Image:Grethe Menzel et al.jpg
  50. ↑ Expressen "Stanken från timeshare... (The stink from timeshare...)" February 6, 2000 p 8 article & interviews by Lasse Olsson
  51. ↑ "Southerly Clubs on Facebook". Facebook.com. January 20, 2013. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  52. ↑ FamSAC website re: organization & position
  53. ↑ Norra Skåne (Hässleholm), May 8, 1989 p front & 5
  54. ↑ Borlänge Tidning August 11, 1993 p 9
  55. ↑ CabarEng on Facebook
  56. ↑ Stockholm City 2010-03-22 p. 2
  57. ↑ Metro Stockholm 2013-02-08 p 18
  58. ↑ Aftonbladet/Nöjesbladet 2013-02-08 p 25
  59. ↑ "Metropolitan Room online listing". Metropolitanroom.com. October 2, 2011. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  60. ↑ Online article about Yaiya Sacasios in NSD 2011-10-03
  61. ↑ Commons:Image:Sv Hembygdsförb Demitz.jpg "...for extraordinarily good work with visitor service, writing & translation, family and photo research, office and locale planning, documentation, interior design and artistic decor" at Ludvika Old Homestead and Museum Park
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