Dutch Singer "Ben Saunders" Died at the age of 43

Dutch Singer Ben Saunders (43) passed away on Tuesday. Multiple sources have reported this to various media outlets. Police reportedly found his body at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake area between Arnhem and Elst.

Friends and family of Saunders had reportedly gathered at the lake that afternoon. Officers discovered a lifeless body there around 1:20 PM. The on-site investigation has since concluded. Police have not released details regarding the cause of death, though they have stated that foul play has been ruled out.

London-born Saunders shot to national fame in 2011 after winning the television show *The Voice of Holland*. Following his audition, he was immediately hailed as the clear favorite; his performance of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" made a massive impression. He went on to live up to those expectations and secured a recording contract.

He scored his biggest hit with the song "Kill For A Broken Heart," which reached number 4 on the Top 40 chart in early 2011. At that moment, the music world was at his feet. In addition to winning *The Voice*, he received an Edison Award, three TMF Awards, an MTV Award, and "Best Newcomer" honors from radio stations Sky Radio and 100% NL.
"That’s when things took off," Saunders recounted years later on the Omroep Gelderland program *De Troubadours*. "Of course, I was singing before that too, but nothing ever took off the way it did then. It was fun, but also terrible in a way. I don't really like attention, and back then, people were constantly pulling at me."

His run of hit songs dried up after 2013. In 2014, Saunders appeared on the TV show *Beste Zangers* (Best Singers). That was also the year he joined the Satudarah motorcycle club. Things went downhill after that. In 2015, he is convicted of assaulting a traffic controller.

Lacking musical success, Saunders therefore starts working at a tattoo shop in Arnhem.