David Walter Foster is a Canadian record producer, film composer, and music executive. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. Foster's career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s before focusing largely on composing and production. Often in tandem with songwriter Diane Warren, Foster has contributed to material for prominent music industry artists in various genres since then, and is credited with production on over 40 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016.
Sharon Lea O'Neill is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with "Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association of New Zealand charts.
Patricia Anglaia Margareth Paaij, best known as Patricia Paay, is a Dutch singer, radio host, glamour model and television personality. In the Netherlands, she is well known for her musical career, which spans over four decades. She is also regularly featured on Dutch television and in Dutch tabloid media. Singer Yvonne Keeley is her sister.
BZN was a Dutch pop group that had a string of hits from 1966 to 2007 on. BZN recorded mostly in English and French, but also had success with material in Dutch and German.
"When the Lady Smiles" is a 1984 song by Dutch band Golden Earring. It was the first single from their album N.E.W.S. (NorthEastWestSouth). Following their United States top 10 hit "Twilight Zone", "When the Lady Smiles" was a chart disappointment in America, only reaching No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the song became the band's fifth Hot 100 charter, making Golden Earring the most successful Dutch band on the United States singles chart.
Bert Ruiter was a Dutch bass guitarist, record producer, and composer. He was best known for being the bassist for Focus from 1971 to 1978.
Robbie van Leeuwen is a Dutch musician who was a guitarist, sitarist, background vocalist and main songwriter for multiple Dutch bands, including The Motions and Shocking Blue, with whom he recorded the worldwide hit "Venus". In 1967, he played guitar on the only single ever released by "The Six Young Riders" titled "Let the Circle Be Unbroken". As of January 2023, he is the only surviving member of Shocking Blue's best known four-piece lineup.
Mother Focus is the fifth studio album by the band Focus, released in 1975 on Polydor in Europe, on Atco Records in North America and on EMI in Japan.
Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop and rock singer. Her career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following her self-titled debut album containing the single "How Do I Survive".
The Golden Harp(Dutch: Gouden Harp) is awarded annually to Dutch musicians for their entire oeuvre. Golden Harps have been awarded 42 times. 149 different persons or (musical) groups have had the honour of receiving the award which is considered to be one of the most important prizes in Dutch music.
Atlantis is a 1973 concept album by Dutch rock and pop band Earth and Fire. The first half of the album comprises a suite based on the story of the greedy and corrupt island of Atlantis, which is ultimately destroyed by the four elements: earthquakes represent Earth, volcanoes represent Fire, volcanic gases represent Air and finally the island is inundated by Water.
"Weekend" is a song by Dutch band Earth and Fire. It was released by Earth and Fire as a single in November 1979 and reached the number one spot in the singles charts in the Netherlands, Switzerland, West Germany, Denmark and Portugal. It was written by keyboard player Gerard Koerts for the album Reality Fills Fantasy.
Powerlight is the twelfth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1983 by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. Powerlight was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Mathilde Santing is a Dutch singer.
Earth and Fire were a Dutch rock and pop band. Formed in the Netherlands by twin brothers Chris and Gerard Koerts, and most popular in 1970, after adding a female singer, turning frontwoman, Jerney Kaagman.
"Fall in Love with Me" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1982 upon Columbia Records as the first single from their twelfth album, Powerlight (1983). It rose to No. 4 on the US Billboard R&B Singles chart, No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 14 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. "Fall In Love With Me" was Grammy nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
The Buma Export Award was a prize given to the Dutch artists who sold the most records abroad between 1972 and 2011. In 2013, this prize was replaced by the Buma ROCKS! Export Award that focused on rock artists and the Buma Award Internationaal. The latter award is presented yearly during the Buma Awards ceremony.
Nationaal Songfestival was an annual music competition, which was originally organised by the Dutch public broadcaster Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (NTS), and later by the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and the Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS). It was staged almost every year between 1956 and 2012 to determine the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The festival has produced four Eurovision winners and eight top-five placings for the Netherlands at the contest.
