“ Musician Robert-Jan Stips is said to be one of the greatest in the United States ”

In the late sixties and early seventies, Stips was immediately recognized as the frontman of the progressive rock band Supersister. When the band goes their separate ways, bassist Rinus Gerritsen and drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk are right outside the door to tour the United States with The Hague band Golden Earring. A great success. To really break through, they even plan to settle there with the group.

“This has been a point of discussion in the group,” said the keyboardist. “I signed up to stay there, but a few other band members didn’t want to. It ran aground there. Yeah, who knows what would have happened if …?

Added value

But if does not exist and eventually Stips himself comes to the conclusion that he no longer has any added value for the earring. “At some point, I started to find out why I often left a band. It was then that I found myself consumable. I think I have contributed my whole life to something that no one else could have contributed. As soon as I noticed it is now becoming very common, I was gone.

After Golden Earring, Stips presents itself at Sweet D’Buster, Gruppo Sportivo, NITS and Freek de Jonge, among others. His influence is undeniable: “I don’t think of the clichés of pop music. I like to use modern classical music, French music like Debussy and Ravel, to incorporate sounds like that into pop music. It is going very well. I’m not going to be very picky because pop music shouldn’t be hard.

Vader

Stips is the descendant of a family of musicians who traveled through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. During his childhood years, his father often shone through absence. Yet it unwittingly sparked a love for music: “My father came home when I was about six with a grand piano at a time when it was not at all financially practical. In retrospect, these were also the first symptoms of bipolar disease ”.

But luck in an accident: suddenly there was a wing in the house: “My life was determined by his act. As a little boy, I crawled under this wing, when he turned out to be able to play very well. We didn’t all know it. So it was really the beginning of the music of my life.

Wide horizon

As a little boy, Stips dreams of a career as a concert pianist. But later, he also discovered pop music and jazz. “ Then it turned out there were a lot more options. Then I made a firm commitment to keep my horizon very broad. ”

He still enjoys playing classical music, with violinist Marieke Brokamp, ​​with whom he broadcasts live in March and April. He is currently working with the NITS on a new album, their 24th already. In the fall, he hopes to tour again with the music of Supersister. And last week, the second edition of Supersister’s voluminous biography was released as well. Look back naked (about 1000 pages) by Fred Baggen.

Nederpop’s documentary De Tovenaar van can be seen on Sunday March 7 from 5 p.m. on TV West.