Golden Earring: The Life Story Behind the Radar Love Band

Golden Earring is the greatest rock band the Netherlands has ever produced, and they were together for sixty years, from 1961 to 2021. They were formed in The Hague by the guitarist George Kooymans and the bassist Rinus Gerritsen, and they became famous around the world with the song Radar Love in 1973, a driving rock anthem that is still played on the radio today. They followed it with Twilight Zone in 1982, another international hit, and they kept making music, touring, and playing to huge crowds for six decades.

Their story is a story of friendship, of hard work, and of a band that never gave up. They started as teenagers in The Hague, they played in small clubs, they had their first hits in the 1960s, and they became a world-famous rock band in the 1970s. They survived changes in music, changes in fashion, and changes in the world, and they kept playing because they loved the music and they loved each other. They were a band in the truest sense of the word, four men who made music together for most of their lives.

Their story ended in 2021, when George Kooymans was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that affects the nerves and the muscles, and the band decided to stop. Kooymans died in 2025, and the Netherlands mourned him as a national treasure. But the music lives on, and Radar Love is still one of the most loved rock songs ever made. This is the story of Golden Earring, a band that played for sixty years and never stopped rocking.

Four Boys from The Hague

Golden Earring was formed in 1961 in The Hague, a city on the coast of the Netherlands, by two teenagers, George Kooymans and Rinus Gerritsen. Kooymans played the guitar and sang, and Gerritsen played the bass and the keyboards, and they shared a love of rock and roll. They were young, they were ambitious, and they wanted to make music that would move people. They started as The Golden Earrings, and they played in small clubs, at school parties, and anywhere that would have them.

In 1967, the singer Barry Hay joined the band, and he brought a new energy to the group. Hay was a charismatic frontman, with a strong voice and a stage presence that made people watch him. He could sing, he could play the flute and the saxophone, and he could hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. With Hay on board, the band became a four-piece, and they began to find their sound. The fourth member, the drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk, joined in 1970, and the classic line-up of the band was complete.

The four of them, Kooymans, Gerritsen, Hay, and Zuiderwijk, would stay together for more than fifty years, and that is a rare thing in rock music. Most bands break up after a few years, because of arguments, because of money, or because of fame. Golden Earring stayed together because they were friends, because they respected each other, and because they loved making music together. They were not just a band. They were a family, and that family lasted for six decades.

The Hague in the 1960s was a good place for a young rock band. There were clubs, there were fans, and there was a growing scene of Dutch bands who wanted to make rock music in English. Golden Earring were part of that scene, and they learned their craft on stage, night after night, in front of real crowds. They were young, they were hungry, and they were ready to take on the world.

The First Hits and the Road to Fame

In the 1960s, Golden Earring had their first hits in the Netherlands, with songs such as Please Go and That Day, and they began to build a fan base at home. They were a popular live band, and they played constantly, touring the Netherlands and building a reputation as a group that could rock a room. They were not yet famous outside their own country, but they were learning, growing, and getting better with every show. The 1960s were a time of learning for the band, and they used it well.

They also began to record albums, and they worked on their sound, moving from simple beat music to a harder, more ambitious rock. They listened to the great rock bands of the time, they studied their records, and they worked out what made a song great. They were not in a hurry, and they did not expect to become famous overnight. They wanted to make music they believed in, and they wanted to find an audience that loved it as much as they did. That patience is an important part of their story.

By the early 1970s, they had changed their name to Golden Earring, dropping the final s, and they were ready for the next step. They had a strong line-up, they had a clear sound, and they had a growing fan base. They were playing bigger shows, they were recording better albums, and they were becoming one of the most popular bands in the Netherlands. The road to fame was long, but they were walking it with confidence, and the biggest hit of their lives was just around the corner.

The years of hard work in the 1960s had given them something valuable: they knew how to play live, they knew how to write a song, and they knew how to work together as a band. Those lessons would serve them well when Radar Love came, and when the whole world started to listen. The boys from The Hague were ready, and the world was about to meet them.

Radar Love and the World Tour

In 1973, Golden Earring released the song Radar Love, and it became one of the most famous rock songs ever made. The song was on the album Moontan, and it was a long, driving rock anthem about a man who is on the road, driving through the night, and thinking about the woman he loves. It had a powerful bassline, a strong beat, and a guitar riff that everyone could remember. It reached number one in the Netherlands, it was a hit in the United States, and it was played on the radio all over the world. It is still one of the most played rock songs on the radio today.

The success of Radar Love changed everything for the band. They were no longer a Dutch band with a local following. They were a world-famous rock band, and they were invited to tour the United States, to play at big festivals, and to share stages with the greatest rock bands of the time. They toured constantly, playing hundreds of shows a year, and they built a reputation as one of the best live bands in the world. Their shows were loud, energetic, and full of passion, and their fans loved them for it.

Radar Love also became a classic of driving music. It is a song about the road, about a car, about the night, and about love, and it is played by drivers all over the world. It has been covered by many other artists, it has been used in films and in television, and it is still a favourite on rock radio. The song is more than a hit. It is a piece of rock history, and it is the song that Golden Earring will always be remembered for.

After Radar Love, the band’s life changed completely. They were touring the world, they were recording new albums, and they were living the life of rock stars. But they did not let the fame change them. They stayed friends, they stayed focused on the music, and they kept working. They knew that one hit does not make a career, and they wanted to prove that they were more than a one-song band. They were right to think that way, because their next big hit was still to come.

Twilight Zone, When the Lady Smiles, and the 1980s

In 1982, Golden Earring had another international hit with the song Twilight Zone, from the album Cut. The song was inspired by the television show of the same name, and it had a mysterious, dramatic sound, with a strong beat and a memorable melody. It was a hit in the United States, reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and it was played on MTV, the music television channel that was changing the way people discovered music. The video for the song was stylish and cinematic, and it helped to make the band famous with a new generation of fans.

Two years later, in 1984, they released the song When the Lady Smiles, from the album N.E.W.S., and it became another hit in the Netherlands and in other countries. The video for the song was controversial, and it was banned by MTV because of its content, but the song itself was a success, and it showed that the band could still make a hit more than twenty years after they started. They were not a band from the past. They were a band that was still relevant, still making great music, and still reaching new audiences.

The 1980s were a busy time for Golden Earring. They toured constantly, they recorded new albums, and they played at festivals all over the world. They were one of the hardest-working bands in rock, and they were proud of it. They played hundreds of shows a year, and they never lost their energy or their love of performing. Their fans knew that a Golden Earring concert was always worth seeing, because the band always gave everything they had.

They also released the song Long Blond Animal in 1980, which became another hit, and they continued to make albums that their fans loved. The 1980s showed that Golden Earring was not a band that had one good decade and then faded away. They were a band that could adapt, that could make music for a new time, and that could stay at the top for a long time. That is a rare achievement in rock music, and it is one that few bands ever manage.

Sixty Years on the Road and the Dutch Rock Kings

Golden Earring kept going for decades, and they became the kings of Dutch rock. They released albums in the 1990s, including Bloody Buccaneers in 1991 and Face It in 1994, and they continued to tour, to play festivals, and to fill concert halls in the Netherlands. They were a band that the Dutch people were proud of, because they had taken Dutch rock to the world, and they had done it for so long. They were not just a band. They were a national treasure.

They played at the biggest venues in the Netherlands, they played at festivals, and they played for generations of fans. Parents who had seen them in the 1970s brought their children to see them in the 1990s and 2000s, and the children became fans too. That is a rare thing, for a band to be loved by three generations, and it is a sign of how timeless their music is. Radar Love, Twilight Zone, and When the Lady Smiles are songs that work for any age, and they are still played today.

They also remained friends, and that friendship was the foundation of their long career. They argued, as all bands do, but they always came back together, because they respected each other and because they loved the music. They were four men who had grown up together, who had shared a life on the road, and who had built something that was bigger than any one of them. That is the secret of their longevity, and it is a lesson for any band that wants to last.

By the 2010s, they had been together for fifty years, and they were still playing, still touring, and still making music. They celebrated their fiftieth anniversary, and they were honoured by the Dutch music world. They were legends, and they knew it, but they did not act like legends. They acted like a band, and they kept playing because they loved it. That is the best reason to keep going, and it is why their fans loved them.

The End: ALS, the Farewell, and Kooymans

In 2021, Golden Earring’s long story came to an end. George Kooymans, the guitarist and founder of the band, was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that affects the nerves and the muscles, and that slowly takes away a person’s ability to move and to speak. It was devastating news for the band, for their fans, and for the whole of the Netherlands. Kooymans could no longer play the guitar, and the band decided that they could not continue without him. They announced that Golden Earring was over, after sixty years together.

It was a sad ending, but it was also a dignified one. The band did not try to replace Kooymans, and they did not try to go on without him. They understood that he was the heart of the band, and that Golden Earring without George Kooymans would not be Golden Earring. They said goodbye, and they thanked their fans for sixty years of support. It was a farewell that was full of love, respect, and gratitude.

Kooymans lived for four more years, and he died on 23 July 2025, at the age of seventy-seven. His death was mourned all over the Netherlands, and tributes came from musicians, fans, and people from all walks of life. He was remembered as a great guitarist, a great songwriter, and a great man, who had given his life to music. The Netherlands had lost one of its greatest rock stars, and the world had lost a musician who had made one of the most loved rock songs ever.

The end of Golden Earring was the end of an era in Dutch music. For sixty years, they had been there, playing, touring, and making music. Now they were gone, but their songs remained. Radar Love is still played on the radio, Twilight Zone is still loved by fans, and their albums are still listened to by new generations. The band may be over, but the music lives on, and it will live on for a long time.

The Legacy of Radar Love and Dutch Rock

Today, Golden Earring is remembered as the greatest rock band the Netherlands has ever produced, and their legacy is secure. Radar Love is one of the most famous rock songs in history, and it is still played on the radio, in films, and on the road, all over the world. Twilight Zone is still a classic, and their albums are still loved by fans. They proved that a Dutch band could make world-class rock music, and they opened the door for many other Dutch bands who came after them.

Their legacy is also about friendship, about hard work, and about staying together. They were a band for sixty years, and that is a record that few bands in the world can match. They showed that a band can last, if the members respect each other, if they love the music, and if they keep working. That is a lesson for any young band, and it is a lesson that Golden Earring taught by example, for six decades.

They also showed that rock music is for everyone, for every age, and for every generation. Their fans range from people who saw them in the 1970s to young people who discovered them on the radio or on the internet. That is a timeless quality, and it is a sign of great music. A great song does not belong to one decade. It belongs to all time, and Radar Love belongs to all time.

Golden Earring may be gone, but their music is still here, and it will be here for many years to come. They were four boys from The Hague who became legends, and their story is one of the great stories in rock music. They played for sixty years, they never stopped rocking, and they left behind a legacy that the Netherlands will always be proud of.

The Live Band: Hundreds of Shows a Year

Golden Earring were famous as a live band, and they played more shows than almost any other rock band in the world. In their best years, they played hundreds of concerts a year, travelling from city to city, from country to country, and from festival to festival. They were not a band that made a record and then stayed at home. They were a band that lived on the road, and they loved it. Their shows were loud, energetic, and full of passion, and their fans knew that a Golden Earring concert was always worth seeing.

Their live shows were famous for their length, their energy, and their connection with the audience. They played for hours, they played their hits, they played new songs, and they played long, powerful versions of Radar Love that made the crowd go wild. Barry Hay was a charismatic frontman, George Kooymans was a brilliant guitarist, and the whole band played with a tightness that comes only from years of playing together. They were a machine, but they were also a family, and that showed on stage.

They played at the biggest venues in the Netherlands, at festivals all over Europe, and at clubs and halls in America. They shared stages with the greatest rock bands of their time, and they held their own. Other bands respected them, because they knew how hard Golden Earring worked, and how good they were live. A band that can play hundreds of shows a year, and still play with energy and passion, is a rare thing, and Golden Earring did it for decades.

The road was their home, and the stage was where they belonged. They did not need big tricks or special effects. They needed their instruments, their songs, and their fans, and that was enough. Their live shows are a large part of their legacy, and they are remembered by everyone who saw them. A Golden Earring concert was a night of rock and roll, and it was a night that fans never forgot.

My Take:

When I think about Golden Earring, the first thing that comes to my mind is time. Sixty years. That is how long they were together, from 1961 to 2021, and that is an extraordinary length of time for a rock band. Most bands last a few years, and then they break up. Golden Earring lasted for six decades, and they did it because they were friends, because they respected each other, and because they loved the music. That is a rare achievement, and it tells me something important about them. They were not just a band. They were a family, and that family lasted for a lifetime.

I admire them most for Radar Love. It is one of the greatest rock songs ever made, and it is a song that I never get tired of hearing. It has a bassline that drives the song forward, a guitar riff that you can hum, and a story about a man on the road, driving through the night, thinking about the woman he loves. It is a song about freedom, about love, and about the open road, and it is a song that makes you want to get in a car and drive. That is the power of a great rock song, and Radar Love has it in full.

What I like about the band is that they never gave up. They started in the 1960s, they had a hit in the 1970s, they had another hit in the 1980s, and they kept going through the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. They did not stop when music changed, and they did not stop when they got older. They kept playing, kept touring, and kept making music, because that is what they loved to do. That persistence is a lesson for any young band. A career is not built in a day. It is built over decades, with hard work, with patience, and with a love of the music.

I think about the four members, and about how they stayed together for so long. George Kooymans, Rinus Gerritsen, Barry Hay, and Cesar Zuiderwijk were together for more than fifty years, and that is a friendship that few people ever experience. They grew up together, they toured together, they made music together, and they shared a life. That is a beautiful thing, and it is the secret of their success. A band that is a family will last longer than a band that is just a business, and Golden Earring proved that.

I also think about Twilight Zone, and about how it brought the band to a new generation in the 1980s. The song was inspired by a television show, it had a mysterious sound, and it was a hit in America. It showed that the band could adapt, that they could make music for a new time, and that they were not stuck in the past. That is a sign of a great band, one that can change without losing its identity. Golden Earring changed, and they stayed Golden Earring, and that is why they lasted.

There is a sadness in their story, and I do not want to hide it. George Kooymans was diagnosed with ALS, a cruel disease, and he could no longer play the guitar. The band had to stop, and Kooymans died in 2025. That is a hard ending for a band that had been together for sixty years, and it is a reminder that life is fragile, and that even the greatest bands must end. But the ending was dignified, and it was full of love. The band did not try to go on without him. They said goodbye, and they thanked their fans. That is the right way to end, and I respect them for it.

I think about Kooymans, and about his guitar playing. He was a great guitarist, with a sound that was powerful, melodic, and instantly recognisable. His riffs on Radar Love and Twilight Zone are among the most famous in rock history, and they are still played by guitarists all over the world. He was not just a guitarist. He was a songwriter, a singer, and the heart of the band. His death was a loss for the Netherlands, and for rock music, and he will be missed by everyone who loved his music.

I also think about the Netherlands, and about how proud the country is of Golden Earring. They were the first Dutch rock band to conquer the world, and they did it for sixty years. They showed that Dutch music could be world-class, and they opened the door for many other Dutch bands. They are national treasures, and they deserve to be celebrated as such. Their music is part of Dutch culture, and it will be part of it for a long time.

If I have a small wish, it is that more young people discover Golden Earring. Their music is sometimes seen as old, as music for an older generation, but it is much bigger than that. Radar Love is a song for anyone who has ever driven at night, Twilight Zone is a song for anyone who loves a mystery, and their albums are full of great rock music that still sounds fresh today. I hope young people take the time to listen, because they will find a band that is worth knowing.

I think about the concerts, and about the feeling of seeing Golden Earring live. They were famous for their energy, for their long shows, and for the way they connected with the audience. A Golden Earring concert was not just a show. It was a night of rock and roll, with a band that gave everything they had. That is a rare thing, and it is why their fans followed them for decades. They knew that the band would never let them down, and the band never did.

In the end, what I take from Golden Earring is simple. Stay together, work hard, and love the music. They were four boys from The Hague who became legends, and they did it by staying friends, by working hard for sixty years, and by never losing their love of rock and roll. That is not a story about luck. It is a story about a band who knew what they wanted, and who never stopped working for it. I think that is a story worth remembering, and a band worth learning from.

One more thought stays with me, and it is about the road. Radar Love is a song about the road, about driving, and about love, and it is a song that has travelled the world. Golden Earring travelled the world too, for sixty years, playing their music in every country, and making fans everywhere. The road was their home, and the music was their life. That is a beautiful way to live, and it is a life that few people ever have. They lived it, and they lived it well.

When I hear Radar Love now, I hear more than a song. I hear sixty years of friendship, of hard work, and of rock and roll. I hear four boys from The Hague who became legends, and I hear a band that never gave up. That is a legacy that few bands ever achieve, and it is a legacy that deserves to be celebrated. Golden Earring is a great band, and they earned that title, one show, one album, and one fan at a time.

I also think about the young bands who listen to Golden Earring and dream of following them. They hear Radar Love, they hear Twilight Zone, and they think that they could do it too. That inspiration is a gift, and Golden Earring gives it freely. They show that a dream is not just a dream. It is a plan, and if you work at it, it can come true. I hope many young bands take that lesson from their story.

I think about the future, and I believe Golden Earring’s music will be loved for a long time. Radar Love will still be played on the radio, Twilight Zone will still be loved by fans, and their albums will still be discovered by new generations. That is the mark of great music, and it is a mark that Golden Earring earned. They may be gone, but their songs are still here, and they will be here for many years to come.

In the end, I believe Golden Earring is a reminder that rock music is for everyone, for every age, and for every generation. Their fans range from people who saw them in the 1970s to young people who discovered them on the internet. That is a timeless quality, and it is a sign of great music. A great song does not belong to one decade. It belongs to all time, and Radar Love belongs to all time.

One last thought stays with me, and it is about George Kooymans. He was a great guitarist, a great songwriter, and a great man, and he gave his life to music. He died in 2025, but his music lives on, and it will live on for a long time. I am grateful for his music, and I think the whole world should be grateful too. He was a legend, and legends never really die. They live on in their songs, and Kooymans lives on in Radar Love.

I also think about the way they treated their fans. They did not act like distant stars. They played for them, they talked to them, and they thanked them for coming. That closeness matters, because fans today want to feel that they know the band, not just the songs. Golden Earring gave them that feeling, and they did it for sixty years. That is a rare thing, and it is one reason why their fans stayed loyal for so long.

There is something I admire about their work ethic. They played hundreds of shows a year, they recorded album after album, and they never stopped. That is hard work, and it is the kind of work that builds a career that lasts. Many bands get tired, they argue, and they break up. Golden Earring kept going, because they loved what they did, and because they respected each other. That is a lesson for any young band.

I think about Barry Hay, and about his voice and his stage presence. He was a frontman who could hold a crowd, who could sing, and who could make a show feel special. He was the face of the band, and he carried that role for more than fifty years. That is a long time to be a frontman, and it is a sign of a performer who loves the stage. Hay loved it, and the audience loved him back.

I also think about Rinus Gerritsen and Cesar Zuiderwijk, the bassist and the drummer, who are often forgotten when people talk about a band. They were the rhythm section, the foundation of the sound, and without them, Golden Earring would not have been Golden Earring. Gerritsen’s bassline on Radar Love is one of the most famous in rock history, and Zuiderwijk’s drumming gave the band its power. They deserve to be celebrated too, and I am glad to remember them here.

In the end, I believe Golden Earring is a band that proves that friendship is the secret of a long career. They were friends, they were a family, and they stayed together for sixty years. That is a beautiful thing, and it is a rare thing, and it is the heart of their story. They played, they toured, and they made music together, and they did it because they loved each other and they loved the music. That is a legacy to be proud of.

When I think about their sixty years together, I think about what a rare and beautiful thing it is for four people to share a life, a career, and a dream for so long. Most friendships do not last that long, and most bands do not last that long. Golden Earring did, and that is a testament to the men they were, and to the music they made together.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Golden Earring formed and where?

Golden Earring was formed in 1961 in The Hague in the Netherlands, by George Kooymans and Rinus Gerritsen. They were originally called The Golden Earrings.

What is Golden Earring’s most famous song?

Their most famous song is Radar Love, released in 1973, which reached number one in the Netherlands and became a hit all over the world. It is still one of the most played rock songs on the radio today.

What other hits did Golden Earring have?

Their other hits include Twilight Zone, which reached the top ten in the United States in 1982, When the Lady Smiles from 1984, and Long Blond Animal from 1980. They also had early hits such as That Day in the 1960s.

Who were the members of Golden Earring?

The classic line-up was George Kooymans on guitar and vocals, Rinus Gerritsen on bass and keyboards, Barry Hay on vocals, flute and saxophone, and Cesar Zuiderwijk on drums. They were together for more than fifty years.

Why did Golden Earring stop in 2021?

They stopped because George Kooymans was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that affects the nerves and muscles, and he could no longer play the guitar. The band decided they could not continue without him.

When did George Kooymans die?

George Kooymans died on 23 July 2025, at the age of seventy-seven. His death was mourned all over the Netherlands, and he is remembered as one of the greatest Dutch rock musicians.

How long were Golden Earring together?

They were together for sixty years, from 1961 to 2021, which is one of the longest careers of any rock band in history. Their music is still loved by fans all over the world.