Coenraad Grabe de Villiers, known as Coenie de Villiers, was born on October 11, 1956, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He is a singer-songwriter and pianist who primarily performs in Afrikaans. De Villiers majored in media studies at the University of the Free State and later lectured in communications. His debut album, Skoppensboer, was released in 1983 under Mountain Records. During the late 1980s, Coenie de Villiers spent time in Cyprus and Greece, where he recorded Amper Alleen. De Villiers returned to South Africa after the release of Nelson Mandela and continued his career with releases including the compilation Karoonagte – De Beste van Coenie de Villiers (1990) and the album Hartland (1993), which featured Lesley Rae Dowling. His later albums include Solo (1997) and Hooglied (2000). De Villiers has also worked in television, presenting the program Kwêla on the kykNET channel on DStv.
