Frans Bauer (born 30 December 1973 in Roosendaal under the name Frans Smit) is a Dutch singer of "levenslied" (Dutch Schlager).From an early age, Frans Bauer was determined to become a singer. His great idols are Julio Iglesias, Elvis Presley and Koos Alberts. By the latter, he was sometimes brought on stage to sing along with Ik verscheurde je foto (I tore up your photo).Bauer's own musical career was shaped in 1987, when he recorded his first single Ben je jong (Are you young) under the supervision of producers Riny Schreijenberg and Emile Hartkamp.Bauer grew to be a local celebrity in the vicinity of the town where he lives, Fijnaart. He got his first national celebrity through the television programme All you need is love (1991), in which, with the permission of his girlfriend Mariska, he got to select two female fans (who both coincidentally are named Diana) to go out with for an evening.