George Kooymans, co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist for the Dutch rock band Golden Earring, died on Wednesday. He was 77.
The news of the musician’s passing was confirmed to the Dutch outlet, AD, where Kooymans’s loved ones confirmed he died from the aftereffects of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Kooymans was first diagnosed with the rare progressive disease back in 2020. “We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work extended beyond Golden Earring,” a rep for the band said in a statement. “George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend.”
As per the AD, director of the ALS Netherlands Foundation, Limore Noach also noted, “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the other band members, and we wish them much strength. When it became known that George Kooymans had ALS and could no longer perform, it was heartwarming to see how the whole of the Netherlands rallied in support.”
George Jan Kooymans was born on March 11, 1948. The musician, along with his then-neighbor and bassist, Rinus Gerritsen, formed Golden Earring in 1961. The rock group would go on and score 30 top-ten singles on the Dutch charts throughout their career, including their best known song “Radar Love.” Their biggest U.S. hit, “Twilight Zone” (1982), would reach number 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Golden Earring’s final show was in November 2019. The band officially called it quits when Kooymans’ ALS diagnosis was made public in 2021.
The surviving members of Golden Earring are planning a farewell benefit show set for January 30, 2026, in Rotterdam. The show in honor of Kooymans’ memory will feature a lineup of guest musicians and raise funds for ALS research.
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