Josina van de Wijdeven (born 29 March 1954), known as José Hoebee, is a Dutch pop singer. She was a member of Luv', a famous Dutch girl group in the late 1970s and early 1980s that scored hits in more than 15 countries.[1] In late 1981, she went solo and was successful in her homeland and in the Flanders region of Belgium between 1982 and 1985. She formed a duo known as Bonnie & José with Bonnie St. Claire to record Dutch cover versions of ABBA's songs.

José Hoebee
Background information
Birth nameJosina van de Wijdeven
Also known asJosé
José Andreoli
Born (1954-03-29) 29 March 1954 (age 70)
Best, Netherlands
GenresPop
OccupationSinger
InstrumentSinging
Years active1970 – 2019
LabelsCarrere, RCA, WVS Music, Marista

Luv' went through line-up changes and reunited several times. On 7 February 2020 the group's management announced that Luv' would stop all their activities due to José's ill health.[2]

Career

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Hoebee started her career as a professional singer in the early 1970s as a member of a folk & country band, Young Tradition, formed with her two sisters. This formation took part in talent shows, changed its name into Elongi and recorded a single produced by Piet Souer, who later suggested that Hoebee join Luv'.

In 1976, she became a member of girl group Luv' with Patty Brard and Marga Scheide. She chose José Andreoli as an artist name. From 1977 to 1981, Luv' scored a string of hit records in the Benelux countries, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, France, South Africa, New Zealand and Mexico. In March 1981, the group announced its first dissolution. The pop formation reunited later on several occasions.

After Luv' split up, Hoebee went solo, gave up her artist name (José Andreoli) and married record producer Will Hoebee. The wedding reception took place in David Soul's villa in Los Angeles.[3] Her new career was less international than the one she had as a Luv' member. Artistically, she chose a repertoire featuring a majority of cover versions of pop standards, including "I Will Follow Him", with the help of her husband. Her first album The Good Times was produced by Pim Koopman and released in 1982.

 
Hoebee at Nederland Muziekland, 17 August 1983

Twelve of her singles (among them a #1 hit and duets) entered the record charts; twelve in the Netherlands and five in Flanders.[4] Hoebee was the first female singer who had #1 hits on the Dutch Top 40 as a member of a group (Luv') and as a solo artist.[5][6] Diana Ross (of the Supremes), Yvonne Keeley (of the Star Sisters), Melanie C (of the Spice Girls), Sita (of K-Otic) and Beyoncé (of Destiny's Child) later established the same record in the hit parade.

After the birth of her son Tim (on 14 October 1985), Hoebee slowed down her career. She retired from show business in 1989 to devote herself to her family. Four years later, she made a brief comeback with Luv' and then escaped from entertainment again to live with her relatives in Best, a village near Eindhoven. For one year and a half, she was the owner of a video rental shop (The Movie Store) that she sold in the summer of 2003.

Then, with the help from Corry Konings (a popular singer in the Netherlands) and her management agency (CK Produkties), Hoebee decided to go back on stage. Her live shows attracted fans who had not seen her for years. In early 2004, she recorded under the pseudonym Stuff a dance-oriented cover version of a Four Tops hit ("Walk Away Renée"). Moreover, she sang two tracks as a guest artist on a tribute album to Doris Day (Marjan Berger meets Doris Day). She later left CK Produkties and signed a deal with WVS Management. This transfer was accompanied by Hoebee's move from the Netherlands to Lommel, Flanders, Belgium.

In the fall of 2004, Hoebee hosted a music talent contest show (Tijd Voor Muziek) on a Dutch local channel (VSM TV). Her husband collaborated on the production of this programme.

In 2005, WVS Music released her first compilation Alle Hits & Unieke Bonustracks. This anthology includes the singer's greatest hits, b-sides, album tracks and bonus tracks.[7] In 2009, she has covered "Be My Baby", rendered as a duet with former BZN member Anny Schilder and produced by Will Hoebee and Piet Souer.

In March 2011, Hoebee re-recorded "I Will Follow Him" with Peggy March who originally had a #1 hit with the song in 1963. The two singers appeared on several Dutch television programmes. The release of the song, however, was delayed one year later and finally came out on the German edition of March's album Always And Forever together with an original track "My Christmas Wish".[8]

On 10 June 2012 José's husband Will Hoebee died and it took her months to recover.

In January 2013, she took part in Sterren Dansen Op Het Ijs (SBS 6 celebrity figure skating show). She was rapidly eliminated from the competition but the artist considered it as a great learning experience.

In June 2014, Hoebee released "Noheyo", a cover version of a 2011 single by Polish band Blue Café.[9] This single quickly became a #1 hit on SBS 6 download chart in the "Dutch-speaking" category.

September 2014 saw the re-issue of "Who's Sorry Now?" (a song she recorded 10 years earlier and made famous by Connie Francis in the late 1950s).

In the 2000s and 2010s, she toured the nostalgia circuit with Luv'. Due to her ill health, the group announced its break-up on 7 February 2020.[10]

Bonnie & José: the ABBA project

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In 1984, she formed with Bonnie St. Claire a duo credited as Bonnie & José. The two vocalists recorded a Dutch cover version of ABBA's "Cassandra", which became a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands in the summer of 1984. A few months later, Bonnie & José were involved in the ABBAcadabra project (a TV musical for children based on songs of ABBA). Bonnie played the role of Sleeping Beauty and José had the role of Snow White. Other Dutch celebrities took part in this music show: Marga Scheide of Luv' (as "Carabosse/the Bad Fairy"), Ron Brandsteder (Patty Brard's first husband) and Benny Neyman.

In 1985, Bonnie & José recorded a whole LP (entitled Herinnering) with ABBA songs. This opus contained another Top 40 hit: "Zoals Vrienden Doen" ("The Way Old Friends Do"). In 1986, in order to promote the Herinnering album, the duo taped a TV special in Sweden: Bonnie en José in Zweden aired on the NCRV channel. The two singers were filmed in Stockholm (including a scene in the Polar Music Studios, ABBA's recording studios).[11] Björn Ulvaeus was interviewed for this special and acknowledged the Bonnie & José's initiative. After the broadcast of this show, they performed sporadically on TV and on stage, even with a non-ABBA repertoire but no new records were released. In 1987, they broke up. Eight years later, they made a comeback by recording a single "'n Engel Als Jij" (a cover version of a German song: "Engel Wie Du" originally sung by Juliane Werding, Maggie Reilly and Viktor Lazlo). In December 2004, Hoebee acted as a witness at Bonnie's wedding (aired live on SBS 6, a Dutch TV channel).

In the summer of 2013, Bonnie & José relaunched their duo for several performances but ended their collaboration in early 2014.

On 20 November 2020 the independent label CD-Licious reissued the Herinnering album on CD and DVD thanks to a crowdfunding campaign.[12] The 2020 edition of this CD included bonus tracks in addition to the original track listing. The DVD contained the "Bonnie en José in Zweden" TV special as well as bonus videos.

Background vocals

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Hoebee worked as a backup singer for other artists including:

  • Babe: "Tick-A-Thums-My-Heart" (performed with Marga Scheide and produced by Hans van Hemert) – taken from the album Blitzers (TTR, 1981)
  • David Soul: "That’s enough for me" – taken from the album The Best Days of My Life (Philips, 1981)
  • Doris D & The Pins: "I wanna be loved by you", "The Marvellous Marionettes", "Bad luck Honey", "Higher and Higher" – taken from the album Doris D and the Pins (Utopia, 1981)
  • Bloem: "Ik wil alleen bij jou zijn", "Omdat" – taken from the album Bloemstukken (CNR, 1982)
  • Lucy Steymel: "Midnight", "Red-handed", "You’re breaking my heart woman", "Night without you" – taken from the album Three's A Charm (CBS, 1982)
  • Nancy Dubbeldeman: "Tonight you belong to me" (Carrere, 1983)
  • Dianne Marchal: "It’s my time now" (Carrere, 1983)
  • Benny Neyman: "Een dag in Parijs" – taken from the album Het Zwarte Goud (CNR, 1984)
  • Tina Selini: "I know about you", "All of my life", "Just in Time" – taken from the album Tina Selini (RCA, 1988)
  • Nikos Ignatiadis: "Timmy’s song" – taken from the album The Olympous Symphony (CNR, 1988)
  • Johan Vlemmix: "Neuro van de euro" (Hollandia Music, 2016)

Discography

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Singles

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  • "Elongi" (Philips, 1976)
  • "I'm So Sorry" (Carrere, 1981)
  • "I Will Follow Him" (Carrere, 1982)
  • "Secret Love" (Carrere, 1982)
  • "The Good Times" (Carrere, 1982)
  • "I Can Hear Music" (Carrere, 1983)
  • "Hey Now, Watcha Gonna Do" (Carrere, 1983)
  • "So Long, Marianne" (with Ron Brandsteder, CNR, 1984)
  • "Time Goes By" (Carrere, 1984)
  • "Cassandra" (with Bonnie St. Claire, Philips, 1984)
  • "Wij Zijn Vrij" (taken from the ABBAcadabra TV musical, Indisc, 1984)
  • "I Love You" (CNR, 1984)
  • "Zoals Vrienden Doen" (with Bonnie St. Claire, RCA, 1985)
  • "Waarom" (with Bonnie St. Claire, RCA, 1985)
  • "De Flierefluiter" (with Bonnie St. Claire, RCA, 1986)
  • "Herinnering" (with Bonnie St. Claire, RCA, 1986)
  • "All Around My Hat" (RCA, 1986)
  • "In The Sign of Love" (Corduroy, 1987)
  • "N Engel Als Jij" (with Bonnie St. Claire, Bunny Music Bucs/Dino, 1994)
  • "Walk Away Renée" (as STUFF, download on internet, 2003)
  • "I Will Follow Him" (WVS Music, 2006)
  • "Be My Baby" (Marista, 2009)
  • "My Christmas Wish" (with Peggy March, Night Dance Records, digital single, 2012)
  • "Noheyo" (MAP Records, digital single, 2014)
  • "Who's Sorry Now?" (Hit It! Music, digital single, 2014)

Albums

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  • The Good Times (Carrere, 1982)
  • Herinnering (with Bonnie St. Claire, RCA, 1985) – reissue on CD/DVD (CD-Licious, 2020)
  • Alle Hits & Unieke Bonustracks (compilation, WVS Music, 2005)

Guest appearances on other albums:

    • Niet Alleen by Ron Brandsteder (CNR, 1983 / including "So Long Marianne")
    • Abbacadabra (Dutch version, Indisc, 1984)[13]
    • Nederland Muziekland – 14 'Nooitgedachte' Hoogtepunten (CNR, 1986)[14]
    • Wie Gaat Er Me Naar Dinoland(Dino, 1993)[15]
    • Marjan Berger Meets Doris Day(2003)[16]
    • Always and Forever by Peggy March (2012 reissue, Night Dance Records/DA-Music / including a new version of "I Will Follow Him" and "My Christmas Wish")

Notable record charts

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Year Title Chart positions
Europarade[17] NL (Top 40)[18] NL (Nationale Hitparade)[19] B (FL)[20]
1981 "I'm So Sorry"[21] - - 39 -
1982 "I Will Follow Him"[22] 6 1 2 1
1982 "Secret Love"[23] 19 11 14 3
1982 "The Good Times" - - 37 28
1983 "I Can Hear Music"[24] - - 48 13
1984 "So Long, Marianne"[25] [José & Ron Brandsteder] - 11 6 20
1984 "Time Goes By"[26] - - 16 -
1984 "Cassandra"[27] [Bonnie & José] - 24 19 -
1985 "Zoals Vrienden Doen"[28] [Bonnie & José] - 36 18 -
1985 "Waarom"[29] [Bonnie & José] - - 35 -
2006 "I Will Follow Him 2005"[30] - - 90 -
2009 "Be My Baby" [Anny & José] - - 92 -

References

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  1. ^ "Luv' discography". RateYourMusic. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Vrouwengroep Luv stopt met optreden". Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. ^ David Soul is famous for his role in Starsky & Hutch and is a good friend of Will and José Hoebee. Moreover, Will produced his The Best Days of My Life album (released in 1982).
  4. ^ *Dutch singles charts.: (in Dutch) Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Peak position on the Nationale Hitparade, currently Single Top 100*Flemish Charts : BRT Top 30/VRT Top 30/Radio 2 Top 30 Archived 13 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ detail mentioned in "500 Nr.1 Hits uit de Top 40", book by Johan van Slooten, Gottmer Becht Publishing, 1997
  6. ^ [José's number-one hits with Luv' and solo in "50 jaar nummer-1-hits 1956-2006", book by Johan van Slooten , Gottmer Uitgevers Groep, 2006]
  7. ^ Among the bonus tracks:
  8. ^ "MARCH,PEGGY : ALWAYS AND FOREVER – Artnr 876227-2DA MUSIC : Deutsche Austrophon GmbH & Co.KG". Da-music.de. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Webklik.nl – JOSÉ HOEBEE". Casperjanssenmusicpromotion.nl. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Luv' stopt ermee". Shownieuws.nl Website of SBS6's entertainment news program announcing Luv's break-up. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  11. ^ Video of Bonnie & José performing "Herinnering" in ABBA's Polar Music Studios on YouTube
  12. ^ "Na 35 jaar nieuw leven voor 'ABBA-plaat' van Bonnie St. Claire en José Hoebee". Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  13. ^ Abbacadabra is a musical for children originally broadcast on the French TV channel TF1 on Christmas 1983 and composed by Alain Boublil et Daniel Boublil. It was based on songs of ABBA. Among the performers of this show: Fabienne Thibeault, Daniel Balavoine, Plastic Bertrand and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (of ABBA). A Dutch version of this musical was recorded at the end of 1984 with José Hoebee and Marga Scheide and aired on TV in 1985. Hoebee sang a solo track "Spiegel" but also "Wij Zijn Vrij" and "Laat Het Feest Beginnen" with other Dutch vocalists.
  14. ^ Hoebee sang "De Postkoets" in duet with Bonnie St. Claire
  15. ^ On this compilation, Hoebee sang three tracks: "De dinosaurus deel 2" / "De dinosaurus deel 3" / "Tim en de brontosaurus"
  16. ^ José sings two solo tracks: "My Happiness" and "Who's Sorry Now"
  17. ^ "UKMIX – The UK's music community". Ukmix.org. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  18. ^ Top 40-artiest: José, Media Markt Top 40. Accessed 28 February 2016.
  19. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Luv'". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  20. ^ Belgium (Flanders): BRT Top 30 (currently VRT Top 30/Radio Top 30) Archived 9 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ This song was covered in 1982 by French/Bulgarian chanteuse Sylvie Vartan
  22. ^ This track is a cover version of a French song ("Chariot") originally performed by Petula Clark in 1962. One year later, English lyrics were written and it was entitled "I Will Follow Him" and sung by Little Peggy March. It reached the first position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became a standard and was featured in the 1992 movie Sister Act).
  23. ^ Cover version of a song originally performed by Doris Day in 1954. George Michael recorded his own version of this standard in 1999.
  24. ^ Cover version of a song originally performed by the Ronettes in 1966 and popularized by the Beach Boys in 1969
  25. ^ Cover version of a song of Leonard Cohen in duet with Ron Brandsteder, a TV host in the Netherlands and the first husband of Patty Brard.
  26. ^ The original version of "Time Goes By" was the Grand Prix winning song performed by Hungarian band, Newton Family, in 1983 at the World Popular Song Festival (Yamaha Music Festival)
  27. ^ Dutch cover version of an ABBA's track, in duet with Bonnie St. Claire.
  28. ^ Dutch cover version of "The Way Old Friends Do" by ABBA in duet with Bonnie St. Claire.
  29. ^ Dutch cover version of "Move On" by ABBA in duet with Bonnie St. Claire.
  30. ^ Hoebee's "I Will Follow Him" was remixed in 2005 by Serge Ramaekers, a Flemish eurodance producer who collaborated with 2 Unlimited, Confetti's and Cartouche in the 1980s and the 1990s.
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