The Great Pretender

Bles Bridges

Bles Bridges (22 July 1946, Viljoensdrif, Orange Free State – 24 March 2000, near Bloemhof, North West), born Lawrence John Gabriel Bridges, was a South African singer. He became known as Bles Bridges, as his Irish grandfather called him "Bles" (meaning "bald" in Afrikaans), due to his very thin hair from an early age. Married to Leonie Bridges from 1969 till his death on 24 March 2000. He made his 1st album in 1972 under the nickname, Morné with a lady called Mimi van Heerden, called, Adios, my skat. He released his first solo album in 1982, Onbekende Weermagman (Unknown Soldier). His professional career began in 1984, with the release of his second album, Bles, which went gold in under a month (25,000 copies) and included Maggie, one of his better-known son… more »