I would appreciate some of DU's good vibes or

[highplainsdem]

55. George did another interview, this one with Radio Veronica in the Netherlands,

Last edited Tue Jul 12, 2022, 11:37 PM - Edit history (1)

giving an update on how he's doing. (Editing to add that this was July 8, part of the three-hour Soundz Live program on Friday nights there.)

He'd said in earlier interviews that he was having trouble walking, was moving slowly.

In this one he said he tries to use a walker now (indicating he can still try to walk without one), to lessen the risk of falling since he has so much trouble getting back up. If no one can help him get back up, he has to have something nearby so he can pull himself back up.

And he recently bought an electric wheelchair, apparently partly because he's planning on going on vacation soon and it would be too difficult to use the walker for very long.

I couldn't read that without remembering the film I'd seen of Ernie Wallengren, the friend with ALS whom I'd mentioned in the OP.

Anyway, I want to thank all of you again for the vibes/prayers/energy for George, which I hope will continue.

There was more to the interview than just an update on his health. He talked about the unreleased album he'd done as a member of Vreemde Kostgangers (Strange Boarders), the Dutch supergroup (a term they hated but which was typically used) he'd formed with two other well-known Dutch singers, one a folksinger and the other one famous for his ska/reggae band (the supergroup's name translates colloquially as "All Sorts" as in "it takes all sorts" ). Every track had been recorded, but it still has to be mixed, something they didn't get done before Henny Vrienten fell seriously ill. Henny died in late April (see https://democraticunderground.com/103474844 ). George said they had kept hoping Henny would recover, since there's always hope, but "reality is cruel." I'd heard something earlier about them also needing permission from Henny's widow to finish and release the album, and I don't know if they have that yet.

George had some surprising comments about Golden Earring, comments suggesting the band might not have stayed together much longer than the 60 years they'd been together when they disbanded early last year, after his diagnosis.

There apparently weren't any disagreements among the band members, but they'd drifted apart musically, all doing other creative work outside the band. They had released a new single in 2019, and their final concert, a year before George was diagnosed with ALS, had been late that year, with the shows planned for spring of 2020 canceled because of Covid. But it doesn't sound as if they were workin on any new music for Golden Earring, though they were working on other projects. George admits to "a bit of fatigue" since they kept doing the same songs, and he said it had become "jukebox-like."

It's likely that after doing so many of the old fan favorites with Golden Earring for several decades, working on something new with different musicians was more energizing than another Earring concert, even though they still sounded great. Lead singer Barry Hay had worked with a number of other artists including JB Meijers, with bass player Rinus Gerritsen joining them at least at times (see https://democraticunderground.com/103474591 ). Drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk has had a variety of side projects including performing and recording with the rock band Sloper.

And George had both his work in a duo with Frank Carillo -- I've posted about the album they released a couple of weeks ago -- and the Vreemde Kostgangers, work he seemed to really enjoy, judging by a 2016 documentary on the trio, where you can tell George and the other two (Henny, and Boudewijn de Groot, who'd been sort of the Dutch equivalent of Dylan) are all clearly having a great time.

Skip the first 7-1/2 minutes, since it's all Dutch commercials. The documentary starts then, with a section starting at 8:30 showing them driving, interspersed with video clips of them as young men.

And I'll add a video of the trio singing "Jimmy," which had been a hit for Boudewijn in 1973. Old song for him to perform, but new for George and Henny.

It has to have seemed less "jukebox-like" to George. It's a shame he's so ill now he hasn't been able to keep making new music with these musicians. (Henny should have had more time, too.)