Upon becoming wealthy, Heintje moved his family back to his father's birthplace, Neu Moresnet, Kelmis, Liège, Belgium.

[6] The following year his debut album Heintje went on to sell over two million copies, resulting in a platinum record award.

Other records selling over a million units included "Du sollst nicht weinen", "Heidschi bumbeidschi" and the seasonal album, Weihnachten mit Heintje.

[6] At the age of 20 he also recorded in Afrikaans; his single "Jou Hart Is Weer Myne" reached number 4 on the South African Official Chart in 1975.

Heintje-Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen, like most of other foreign films imported into China in the 1980s, received unprecedented popularity among Chinese viewers, with the majority of them having never encountered Western culture before under communist rule.