Golden Earring was a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Tornados. It reached worldwide fame with “Radar Love” in 1973, which went to number one on the Dutch chart, reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and went to number thirteen on the United States chart. Other well-known songs include “Back Home” (1970), “Twilight Zone” (1982) and “When the Lady Smiles” (1984).
The classic line-up had four members, and eight former members and two session musicians are also listed. Kooymans, Gerritsen, Hay and Zuiderwijk were all listed as members from 1970 until 2021, which made them the core of the group for over fifty years. Roles and years below are as Wikipedia gives them.
George Kooymans – Guitar, Vocals (1961–2021)
George Kooymans played guitar and sang from the band’s founding in 1961 until 2021. He died in 2025.
Rinus Gerritsen – Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Harmonica (1961–2021, 2026)
Rinus Gerritsen played bass, keyboards, guitar and harmonica. He was a member from 1961 to 2021 and is also listed for 2026.
Barry Hay – Vocals, Guitar, Flute, Saxophone (1967–2021, 2026)
Barry Hay was the lead vocalist and also played guitar, flute and saxophone. He joined in 1967 and is listed for 1967 to 2021 and for 2026.
Cesar Zuiderwijk – Drums, Percussion (1970–2021, 2026)
Cesar Zuiderwijk played drums and percussion, joining in 1970. He is listed for 1970 to 2021 and for 2026.
Robert Jan Stips – Keyboards, Synthesizers (1974–1976, 1977–1978)
Robert Jan Stips played keyboards and synthesizers as a member in 1974 to 1976 and 1977 to 1978. He also appeared as a session musician in 1980, 1982 and 1986.
Eelco Gelling – Guitar (1976–1978)
Eelco Gelling played guitar as a member from 1976 to 1978, after working with the band as a session musician from 1973 to 1975.
Other Former Members
- Fred van der Hilst – drums, percussion (1962–1965; died 2026)
- Hans van Herwerden – guitar (1962–1963)
- Peter de Ronde – guitar (1963–1966)
- Frans Krassenburg – vocals (1964–1967)
- Jaap Eggermont – drums, percussion (1965–1969)
- Sieb Warner – drums, percussion (1969–1970)
Session Musicians
- Bertus Borgers – saxophone (1971, 1973–1976)
- John Lagrand – harmonica (1979)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Golden Earring founded? The band was founded in 1961 in The Hague, as the Tornados.
What is Golden Earring’s biggest hit? “Radar Love” in 1973, which went to number one in the Netherlands and number thirteen in the United States.
Who were the four classic members? George Kooymans, Rinus Gerritsen, Barry Hay and Cesar Zuiderwijk.
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