Candy Dulfer
A Dutch saxophone sensation who fused pop swagger with jazz chops, bringing the instrument to the forefront of global dance floors.
Born 1969 (age 57)·Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist·Birthday: September 19·Generation X
Biography
Candy Dulfer didn't just play the saxophone; she made it a pop star. Emerging from Amsterdam's jazz scene as a teenage prodigy, she possessed a sound that was all warmth and irresistible groove, a direct line to the funk. Her big break opening for Madonna's 1987 European tour was a cultural crossover, introducing her vibrant stage presence to a massive audience. Her debut album 'Saxuality' was a global smash, its hit single 'Lily Was Here' proving instrumental music could dominate charts. While rooted in the traditions of her father, jazzman Hans Dulfer, and mentors like Prince, Dulfer carved her own path—a collaborator with giants, a bandleader of her own funky outfit, and a performer who makes the complex seem effortlessly cool.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Candy was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Candy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Candy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her debut album 'Saxuality' (1990) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
- The single 'Lily Was Here' from the film of the same name became an international top 10 hit in multiple countries.
- Performed as a featured opening act on Madonna's 1987 'Who's That Girl' European tour, catapulting her to fame.
- Recorded and performed extensively with Prince, appearing on albums and as part of his New Power Generation.
Did You Know?
She formed her first band, Funky Stuff, when she was just fourteen years old.
She played the saxophone solo on the 1990 Pink Floyd song "Sorrow" from their album 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' during live performances.
She has hosted her own Dutch television talk show, 'Candy Meets.'
Her father, Hans Dulfer, is a well-known Dutch jazz saxophonist and she frequently collaborates with him.
“I never saw myself as a female saxophonist, I just saw myself as a saxophonist.”
