Pia Beck

Pia Beck (born Pieternella Beck; 18 September 1925 – 26 November 2009) was a Dutch jazz pianist and singer. She was one of the most popular entertainers in the Netherlands during the 1950s and achieved international success in Europe and the United States.

Early life Pieternella Beck was born into a middle-class family in The Hague. She was the daughter of Floor Beck, a merchant and procuration holder, and Johanna Westerbaan. From an early age she displayed musical talent and later claimed that she could play several instruments as a child. Beck eventually focused on the piano. Attempts at formal musical training were unsuccessful; according to Beck, her teacher, the later conductor Bernard Haitink, dismissed her because of her 'unique gypsy talent' and advised her to pursue her music elsewhere.

Musical career During the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945), Beck performed with the female vocal group the Samoa Girls. After the Second World War, she joined the Miller Sextet as a pianist and singer. With this ensemble she toured Europe, performed for American soldiers in Germany, and spent six months entertaining Dutch troops in the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia).

In the mid-1970s she made a successful comeback in the Netherlands, attracting an older, nostalgic audience. In 1977 Beck drew public attention by participating in protests against American anti-gay activist Anita Bryant. She continued performing until 2003, when she retired at the age of 78. Beck remained in Churriana near Torremolinos, where she died on 26 November 2009, aged 84, several months after the death of Samsonowski. According to a friend the cause of death was heart failure.

Reputation Beck was widely regarded as a flamboyant and charismatic performer, noted for her distinctive piano style, stage presence, and ability to connect with audiences. The Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson once described her as "the best jazz pianist in the world". Although she achieved international recognition, her later success was largely nostalgic. Beck was open about her long-term relationship with a woman but did not consider herself a spokesperson for the gay rights movement, consistently emphasizing that her artistic career rather than her sexuality defined her public identity.

Discography (selection)

Albums

Year Title Format Notes 1977 Play Beck LPBoogie-woogie. 1979 Call Me Beck LP Jazz and popular songs recorded during Beck's peak popularity. 1982 Pia's Party – P.S. I Love You LP Studio recordings aimed at a broad popular audience.

Compilation albums

Year Title Format Notes 1976 Beck to the Fifties LP Compilation of Beck's 1950s repertoire. 1980 The Pia Beck Story LP Retrospective compilation of recordings from the 1940s and 1950s. 2009 Dutch Jazz Legend 1925–2009 2×CD Posthumous overview of Beck's recordings. 2010 50 Years 2×CD, 1 DVD Career-spanning retrospective marking her long career. 2021 Dutch Treats: Hot Boogie, Cool Bop and More 1946–1960 CD International anthology of early jazz and boogie-woogie recordings.

EP's

Year Title Notes 1955 Flip Flop and Fly Jazz and popular repertoire in multiple languages. 1956 Get Up Them Stairs Early trio recordings. 1956 Lullaby of Birdland Covers of American jazz standards. 1957 Get Happy Vocal and piano performances. 1958 C’est Mon Gigolo Includes French-language repertoire.