George Kooymans

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George Kooymans
2015 Golden Earring - George Kooymans - by 2eight - DSC1419.jpg
George Kooymans in 2015
Background information
Birth nameGeorge Jan Kooymans
Born (1948-03-11) 11 March 1948 (age 76)
The Hague, Netherlands
Genres Rock
Occupation(s)
  • Guitarist
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1961–2021

George Jan Kooymans (born 11 March 1948) is a Dutch guitarist and vocalist. He is best known for his work with the Dutch group Golden Earring. [1] Kooymans wrote "Twilight Zone", the group's only top 10 entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart. [2]

Contents

In 2021, George retired not only his own career, but also the Golden Earring band after he revealed that he had ALS.

Career

In 1961, Kooymans and his neighbour Rinus Gerritsen formed a rock duo. [3] They originally called themselves "The Tornados", but changed their name to "The Golden Earrings" when they learnt of The Tornados, a UK instrumental group who had just had a hit with "Telstar". [4] The name "the Golden Earrings" was taken from an instrumental called "Golden Earrings" performed by the British group the Hunters, [5] for whom they served as opening and closing act. Initially a pop-rock band with Frans Krassenburg on lead vocals and Jaap Eggermont on drums, the Golden Earrings had a hit with their debut single "Please Go", recorded in 1965. [4] [6] After two albums, Barry Hay joined on lead vocals permanently, and by 1970, Sieb Warner had been replaced by Cesar Zuiderwijk, and the principal lineup (that would last for 50 years) was finalised.

Kooymans in 1971 GeorgeKooymans1971TopPop.png
Kooymans in 1971

They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on the Dutch chart, reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, and went to number 13 on the United States chart, [6] [7] "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. [6] During their career they had nearly 30 top ten singles on the Dutch charts and released 25 studio albums.

Kooymans wrote "Twilight Zone", the group's only top 10 pop single on the US Billboard Hot 100, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart. [2]

Kooymans also wrote and produced for other artists. In 2017 and 2018 he released two albums as a member of Vreemde Kostgangers (Strange Boarders), a Dutch-language supergroup he formed with Henny Vrienten (bass player of the band Doe Maar) and singer-songwriter Boudewijn de Groot.

Personal life

Kooymans is married to Melanie Gerritsen, the younger sister of Golden Earring bassist Rinus Gerritsen.

In February, 2021, Kooymans announced that he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and would retire. Shortly afterward, Golden Earring announced they would disband. [8]

Equipment

Kooymans primarily played a Gibson Les Paul, a Gretsch 6119, a Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson Marauder, a Gibson SG, a Yamaha SG2000, several BC Rich guitars, a double cutaway Gibson Melody Maker and a Gibson Firebird, with his primary amps being a Roland Jazz Chorus, a Vox AC30 amp, and a Fender Twin Reverb. [9] [10]

Discography

Golden Earring

Solo albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Earring</span> Dutch rock band

Golden Earring was a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Tornados. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on the Dutch chart, reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, and went to number thirteen on the United States chart, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. During their career they had nearly 30 top-ten singles on the Dutch charts and released 25 studio albums.

<i>Moontan</i> 1973 studio album by Golden Earring

Moontan is the ninth album by Dutch rock band Golden Earring, released in 1973. It contains the radio hit "Radar Love", and was voted ninth-best Dutch pop album ever by readers of music magazine Oor in 2008. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album rated No. 32 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". Moontan is the band's most successful album in the United States, being the only Golden Earring album to be certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>Switch</i> (Golden Earring album) 1975 studio album by Golden Earring

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<i>To the Hilt</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Golden Earring

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<i>Contraband</i> (Golden Earring album) 1976 studio album by Golden Earring

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<i>No Promises...No Debts</i> 1979 studio album by Golden Earring

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<i>2nd Live</i> 1981 live album by Golden Earring

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<i>Cut</i> (Golden Earring album) 1982 studio album by Golden Earring

Cut is the sixteenth studio album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1982. The album spawned the hit song "Twilight Zone," which reached No. 1 in the Netherlands and No. 1 in the United States on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks

<i>N.E.W.S.</i> (Golden Earring album) 1984 studio album by Golden Earring

N.E.W.S. is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1984.

<i>Something Heavy Going Down</i> 1984 live album by Golden Earring

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<i>The Hole</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Golden Earring

The Hole is the eighteenth studio album by the Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1986. The band gave a free promotion concert in support of the album on the beach of Scheveningen for an audience of 185,000. Anton Corbijn directed a video clip for the single "Quiet Eyes". It was made in the same black and white style as the photographs he made for the inner sleeve of the album.

<i>Face It</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Golden Earring

Face It is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1994. The album was not issued in the U.S.

<i>The Naked Truth</i> (Golden Earring album) 1992 live album by Golden Earring

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<i>Last Blast of the Century</i> 2000 live album by Golden Earring

Last Blast of the Century is the sixth live album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 2000. The album was not issued in the U.S.

<i>Millbrook U.S.A.</i> 2003 studio album by Golden Earring

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cesar Zuiderwijk</span> Dutch drummer

Cornelis Johannes "Cesar" Zuiderwijk, is a Dutch drummer. He is best known as the drummer of the Dutch rock band Golden Earring from 1970 until their retirement in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Hay</span> Indian-born Dutch musician (born 1948)

Barry Andrew Hay is an Indian-born Dutch musician; he was the lead vocalist and frontman of Dutch rock band Golden Earring from 1967 until their disbandment in 2021. He has also released three solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twilight Zone (Golden Earring song)</span> 1982 single by Golden Earring

"Twilight Zone" is a 1982 hit by Dutch band Golden Earring. It was written by the band's guitarist George Kooymans, who drew inspiration from the spy thriller book The Bourne Identity rather than the 1960s mystery television series The Twilight Zone. The song "Twilight Zone" appears on Golden Earring's 1982 album Cut. It spent 27 weeks on the US Pop charts. It was the group's sole Top 10 Pop single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart, the band's only No. 1 hit in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rinus Gerritsen</span> Dutch musician

Marinus Gerritsen is a Dutch bassist. Best known for being founding member of Dutch group Golden Earring, he is also a producer of artists like Herman Brood. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden counts Gerritsen as an important influence.

<i>Tits n Ass</i> 2012 studio album by Golden Earring

Tits 'n Ass is the twenty-fifth and final studio album by Dutch rock band Golden Earring, released on 11 May 2012. It was their first studio album since 2003's Millbrook U.S.A., but was not issued in the U.S. It was the group's final album before their 2021 breakup.

References

  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Biography: George Kooymans". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits',' 9th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 259.
  3. ↑ "Rinus Gerritsen - official website - bassplayer for Golden Earring". 10 April 2006. Archived from the original on 10 April 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 187/8. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  5. ↑ "Biography | Golden Earring". golden-earring.nl. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Golden Earring Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  7. ↑ US-Singles: Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2006. Billboard Books, New York 2007, ISBN   0-89820-172-1 / US-Alben: The Billboard Albums von Joel Whitburn, 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN   0-89820-166-7
  8. ↑ "Golden Earring Co-Founder George Kooymans Retires After ALS Diagnosis; Band Calls it Quits". Bestclassicbands.com. 11 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Earring Gear". Golden-earring-museum.nl. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Songs, snaren & gitaren, Henk Schaakxs | 9789073187863 | Boeken | bol". Bol.com. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
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