Embarked on a yacht to sail around the world, but, being a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer after reaching the Canary Islands (1973).
His body is buried next to Gauguin's grave at Hiva Oa, Marquesas
Islands (French Polynesia), where he spent his last years.
Claimed to have never written songs about love.
He sang in two languages: French and Dutch. He used to translate most
of his French songs into Dutch.
A metro station on the line 1B in Brussels is named after him.
Joined the Catholic-humanist youth organization "Franche Cordée", where he started acting and singing.
Ranked #1 as "Le plus grand Belge" (the Greatest Belgian) by the audience of that Walloon TV show, but only ranked #7 on the show's Flemish version "De Grootse Belg".