Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Now as the Netherlands has withdrawn from Eurovision song contest at least in 2026, let's have a look of some Dutch favorites of mine over the year. 't is OK seems to be totally forgotten but I loved it to bits as kid.  And I have very fond memories of talks with two of these artists: Ilse and Edsilia. Enjoy! 2014 The Common Linnets - Calm after the storm (2nd) 1980 Maggie MacNeal - Amsterdam (5th) 2022 S10 - De diepte (11th) 2016 Douwe Bob - Slow down (11th) 2019 Duncan Laurence -  Arcade (1st) 1990 Maywood - Ik wil alles met je delen (15th) 1993 Ruth Jacott - Vrede (6th) 1978 Harmony - 't is OK (13th) 1998 Edsilia Rombley - Hemel en aarde (4th) There would have been quite a few to pick up as well but these sounded the ones at this time and space.  Special mentions go to: 1988 Gerard Joling - Shangri-La (9th) 1987 Marcha - Rechtop in de wind (5th) 1979 Xandra - Colorado (12th) 1992 Humphrey Campbell - Wijs me de weg (9th) 1984 Maribelle - Ik hou van jou (13th)

Gerard Joling, that walking advert for botox clinic and teeth whitening gone bad (remember Ross in Friends back in the day?) has released his new song Lieveling sporting some interesting wardobe choices. Especially the jacket is genius - never thought those aprons sold for tourists in Italy could  be fixed to look so good!  All this said, Gerard has a lovely voice and this song is insanely catchy! Not usually my cup of tea but I love it! And Dutch has never sounded so good. Or maybe it has, in Shangri-La . Watch and learn, Jari Sillanpää :-)

Now that the Dutch selection is over with its ridiculous end seveal Eurovision veterans have come out telling they declined the invitation to couch the youngsters as soon as they heard the song Ik ben verliefd (Sha-la-lie). Besides Edsilia Rombley ( 1998 , 2007 ), Gerard Joling ( 1988 ), Gordon ( 2008 ) also Lenny Kuhr ( 1969 ) is amongst them. She says: "In this style of music, this is one of the poorest examples." She fully understands why people in the Netherlands are upset: "With this song you disrespect the audience." Poor Sieneke.

So, it's true. Jeroen van der Boom will replace Gerard Joling and the new De Toppers is made of Jeroen (36), Gordon (40) and René Froger (48). For some reason De Toppers all of sudden became much more likeble. Jeroen seems to have the voice and the looks, and besides if one's surname is Boom how cannot you like him at least a little? (Or what do you say, Grgrgirl?)

It looks like Jeroen van der Boom will replace Gerard Joling in De Toppers, according his website this morning, and the group will go to Moscow after all. Oh well.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gMNwT6kmS8 , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDCQtHygN1A&feature=related

It looks there will be no De Toppers for the Netherlands in Moscow 2009 after all. Gerard Joling and Gordon have ended up in a real cat fight so there will be no more concerts, no docu soap and no Eurovision? Well, as I never was happy with the choise anyways I would welcome open arms someone else! As it seems there will be no De Toppers without Joling. Let's see how this ends...

Unfortunately it's true. De Toppers or Gerard Joling, Gordon and Rene Froger will go to Moscow for the Netherlands. Oh well, maybe they will have a good song? There's an open call for the songs and the national final should be on February1, 2009 with a few of them.... Watch them perform a medley of Eurovision songs including Gerard's 1988 Shangri-La, Amsterdam, De Troubadour, Ding A Dong, Vrede and many others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR9-l63V7m4 and It's raining men - no further comment - here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmb65quhSVo&feature=related

Some websites are giving De Toppers as the Dutch act for Moscow 2009 but I fail to get excited about it after seeing a couple of Youtubes... Gerard Joling (ESC 1988), Rene Froger (I have one single by him remixed by PWL, that's why) and Gordon... Sigh. This is a false alarm, isn't it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCFZcZ9zRwM

After Gerard Joling said no the Dutch media has speculated on other names, such as Hind (right on pic) of Idols fame (Hasn't her name been up every year since??) and the Ben Cramer & Dutch Divas combination. Ben seems to be a big musical star with 40+ years of career behind him and while the divas are... well, divas including Maggie McNeal of "Amsterdam" fame (ESC 1980)

Today's Dutch media reports that Gerard Joling has turned down NOS offer to represant the country in the Eurovision 2008 due other engagements. He says he will stand by for 2009 instead. Apparently he had been offered the Edsilia kind of final with six songs to sing.... Hmm...

Gerard Joling returns to Eurovision after 20 years if we believe his own words as NOS doesn't confirm or deny yet. Gerard represanted the NL already back in 1988 with "Shangri-La", and has since remained rather popular performer on home ground sporting 9 top-10 hits between 1985 and 2007 including 3 number ones, and has widen his professional horizons to represanting TV. Fan of photoshopping (and botox it seems) he is at tender age of 47 one of the veterans of the contest if he indeed gets to travel to Belgrad!