Rijkevorsel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Rijkevorsel launches an online condolence register to honor late honorary citizen and musician George Kooymans, inviting the public to pay tribute virtually.
Golden Earring, a Dutch rock band, lost its guitarist, singer, and co-founder yesterday. In the meanwhile, the municipality’s flags are flying half-mast as well. Many people in Rijkevorsel, Belgium, were familiar with him.
“I remember a local group performing,”
one man says, movingly.
“The singer suddenly had vocal problems. George picked up a guitar, jumped on stage, and was gone. It was a wonderful evening. He felt like a true Rijkevorsel native. His passing affects everyone, I think.”
Kooymans was made an honorary citizen by the municipality in the beginning of 2023. As a result, in honor of his passing, the municipality’s flags are currently flying at half-mast.
Additionally, the municipality’s website now features an online condolence register. Kooymans was seventy-seven. He suffered from ALS, a muscular disease.
“He walked the dog every day, with his wife or sister. Whenever we ran into him, we’d always get a friendly hello,”
says another man.
“He was a really cool guy, an icon in our community, and one of the best guitarists in the world, in my opinion. Until he got too sick and couldn’t play anymore… It’s a shame. I immediately put on a Golden Earring CD. They should put a statue in his honor.”
“I met him when I was 16. I danced on stage with two friends back then, as go-go girls. They were young guys back then, and we were young girls… Yeah, you know how it goes,”
one woman laughs.
“It was a great time, and I was really happy when he came to live here.”
“His passing truly affects me. He was such a kind, friendly man, who always had time for a chat. I knew he was ill, but he died too soon. All of Rijkevorsel is devastated. It’s very fitting that he is an honorary citizen here.”
Are there any initiatives underway to preserve Kooymans’s legacy within the local or national music scene?
The surviving members of Golden Earring have planned a farewell concert for January 30, 2026, at Rotterdam’s Ahoy arena.
This event will honor Kooymans and the band’s remarkable 50-year career, featuring guest musicians and raising funds for ALS research, the disease Kooymans battled. The concert serves as a tribute and a key moment to celebrate his lasting impact on rock music.
Kooymans’s pioneering work with Golden Earring, including defining classic rock anthems like “Radar Love” and “Twilight Zone,” remains widely celebrated. His songwriting and musicianship have left a strong imprint on Dutch and international rock scenes, helping to sustain interest among new generations of fans and musicians.
