George Kooymans – Golden Earring

Last week it was announced that Golden Earring co-founder and guitarist George Kooymans (72) was diagnosed with the disease ALS. This meant that the band unexpectedly ended their great track record. Check for more info this article (Dutch).

I had the privilege of photographing the Golden Earring several times during their live concerts and this photo dates from 2017 taken during their performance at ParkCity Live in Heerlen.

Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings (the ‘s’ was dropped in 1969). They had international chart success with the songs “Radar Love” in 1973, “Twilight Zone” in 1982, and “When The Lady Smiles” in 1984. Current members of Golden Earring are Barry Hay (vocals, guitar, flute and saxophone, member since 1968), George Kooymans (vocals and guitar, founder of band), Rinus Gerritsen (bass and keyboard, founding member), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums and percussion, member since 1970). Golden Earring have sold millions of albums worldwide, and they are one of the longest existing rock bands in the world that are still performing today in the same line up.

Website: Golden Earring