Peter Koelewijn
| Peter Koelewijn | |
|---|---|
Peter Koelewijn in 1977
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| Background information | |
| Born |
29 December 1940 Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Genres | pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1957- |
| Associated acts |
Peter And His Rockets Curtie and the Boombox |
Peter Koelewijn (born 29 December 1940 in Eindhoven) is a founding father of Dutch language rock and roll. Koelewijn is also a successful producer and songwriter for other Dutch artists. His most famous song is Kom van dat dak af (Dutch version of the 1989 remake with rap duo MC Miker G & DJ Sven; Get Down The Roof Kid).
Peter Koelewijn was born December 29 1940, the son of a fishmonger in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven. At the age of thirteen he received his first guitar. In 1957 he started writing his first songs in English. He started his first band at secondary school with guitarists Karel Jansen and Roelof Egmond and singer Anneke Grönloh. Later, Harry van Hoof (who later became a famous conductor), and drummer Peter van der Voort, joined the band. Around the same time, Grönloh quit.
In 1959 the band, now called 'Peter and his Rockets', were joined by saxophone player Klaus Buchholz and bass guitarist Karel Janssen. In December the band recorded Kom Van Dat Dak Af for record company Bovema. The combination of American rock and roll and Dutch lyrics was unheard of at the time. In May 1960, Kom Van Dat Dak Af was a big success in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Koelewijn, who moved on to grammar school, was told by his parents that he had to finish his schooling. Peter and his Rockets signed to Philips.
Follow-up singles Laat Me Los ('Let Me Go') and Marijke charted lower. Eventually the hits dried up, and Koelewijn disbanded the Rockets in 1967 to concentrate on writing and producing for other artists.
In 1971 he reformed the Rockets for what would become his glamrock-era; this period lasted four years.
His 1973-composition, Klap Maar in Je Handen (Clap your Hands and Stamp your Feet) was a no. 1 hit for South African singer Maria in South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where it is still very popular at dances.
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