Toni Willé

Toni Willé (full name Antonia Johanna Cornelia Veldpaus; born 26 June 1953) is a Dutch country pop artist who was the lead vocalist of Pussycat, the musical group that also included her two elder sisters and achieved an international No.1 hit with the song "Mississippi" in 1975/76.

Childhood Toni is the third daughter of Marie Verheijen and Toon Veldpaus. Toon died from Hodgkin's disease shortly before Toni's birth, when her sister Marianne was two years old and Betty was only one. Three years later her mother Marie married Stefan Kowalczyk, a Polish miner who came to the Netherlands in 1948 to work in the coal mines after serving in the US Army in Germany. He brought up the children and promoted their music talents.

When Toni, Betty and Marianne were six, seven and eight, the family moved to Treebeek, a city quarter in Brunssum in the south-east Netherlands. At the annual children's festivities of Sinterklaas, he bought them each an acoustic guitar and engaged Ben Keuzenkamp as guitar tutor. With guitars, they performed during carnivals, talent scoutings and parties as The Singing Sisters. It was during this time that their characteristic close harmony style singing came into being. Their repertoire initially consisted mostly of German pop songs. However they say, this kind of music soon ended with the arrival of The Beatles.

A few years later, Keuzenkamp introduced the sisters to 18-year-old Werner Theunissen, a guitarist from 'The Entertainers' whom he got in touch with through an ad in the papers. Theunissen acquainted them with contemporary pop music. It was then that they became a proper girl band with Betty on solo guitar, Marianne on bass, Toni on vocals and a friend Tonny Jeroense on drums. Werner, their composer continued writing songs with three part vocals. In the same year, Sweet Reaction released their first single "Tell Alain" on the 'Telstar label owned by Johnny Hoes. Although the single was unsuccessful as it didn't sell well, they ended up performing it on Eddy Becker's 'The Eddy-Go-Round Show'. Apart from Demis Roussos, another guest on that show was Soulful Dynamics which had a big hit with the song "Mademoiselle Ninette" at that time. With their Belgian producers, Toni's band the 'Sweet Reaction' recorded the song "Come Back my Dream", the successor of "Tell Alain". This song achieved reasonable success and acclaim. Soon after this success, Johnny Hoes released "Daddy" under his record label which was their third single in a row. It was around this time the band seemed to urgently need a name change. So when the single "Daddy" was released, underneath the band name on the cover it read in glaring letters "Now Pussycat". After this, Toni went on to record a solo single called "Let me Live my life", backed by "For You" under the moniker 'Sally Lane'. However, this single was not a success either.

Pussycat Although we started as a hobby, we had to build a professional organization due to the success of "Mississippi". That wasn't so easy, especially when we started touring. We even went to South Africa. But after some time it became increasingly difficult to finance huge tours with that size of a group. During that time it also became popular to work with a tape instead of live musicians. With pain in our hearts we parted company with our backing band and started to perform with a tape. By 1985 my sisters wanted to spend more time for themselves and so we all agreed that stopping with Pussycat was the best thing to do. source= – Toni recollects when asked about the final years of Pussycat. (UK Singles Chart) and Germany and from there all over Europe, Latin America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Four million singles were sold in 1976. It was the most sold record in Germany. In Brazil "Mississippi" stayed in the charts for 129 weeks . It became No.1 in 30 countries from Europe to South Africa. More than 5 million copies were sold worldwide. On 5 January 1977, Pussycat was awarded the Conamus Export Prize by the British Ambassador to the Netherlands, Sir John Barnes, for being the first Dutch pop group in the British charts.

Pussycat continued to record albums and singles as well as perform all over the world throughout the late '70s and early '80s before breaking up in 1985. Betty focused on raising a family, Marianne became the owner of a bar in Brunssum, and Toni, who has a son and daughter, is the only one who pursued a professional career in music. In 1999, however, the three of them got back together to perform at several reunion concerts. More recently Pussycat contributed to the country band Major Dundee's single "Somewhere Someone" in 2005 and singer Dennis Jones' Dutch reggae cover of their signature hit song "Mississippi" in 2007.

The story behind Mississippi

The particular country sound in our songs certainly has to do with our voices, which contain a country like warmth. But we can just as easily sing jazz or black music preferably old fashioned soul. Our producer Pim Koopman was also partly responsible for our change of sound. source= – Toni talks about the country sound in their music The following week, they performed "Mississippi"' at TopPop and a week later, the single had climbed to # 1. Although Toni and Marianne still worked as typists for DSM, they were unable to maintain their jobs as besides the Netherlands, "Mississippi" had become No. 1 in Germany as well. As their fame grew, the band realized they needed a manager, so their record company got them their new manager Jan Buys.

Oddly enough, at first they did not want to release the single in Germany nor UK because of the initial lack of interest. Eventually, the single was released in the UK on Sonet, a small record label. In the Autumn of 1976, the single was number 1 in the UK charts.

In addition to the Netherlands, Germany and UK, the single was #1 in Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Brazil. Though this song never became a hit in the United States, it was covered by a number of American artists such as Barbara Fairchild and Lucille Starr.

1985 – Going solo

By 1981, it became popular for artists to perform with a tape instead of backing band as this was much cheaper and more attractive for venue owners. So Toni and her sisters had no choice but to part with their backing band reducing the group to only Toni, Betty, Marianne and Toni's husband Lou Willé. Their new producer was now Pim Koopman. In 1999 she recorded "Mama", a single written by Dick Van Altena that appeared on many albums including Diverse Artiesten – De Geschiedenis Van De Limburgse Popmuziek 3, a compilation of songs from Dutch artists from Limburg. The Rarities bonus CD contains part of Toni's solo work. Besides "Love in a Heatwave", the theme of the film De Flat starring Rene Soutendijk, it also contains "Heart Half Empty", the duet with Danny Vera.

In 2007, Toni sang "I Wanna Love You" from her new album "Fantastic Stores" as a duet with Jess Robin on the Slovenian breakfast TV show.

In 2004 EMI released Pussycat – The Complete Collection on DVD, a box which contains three CDs and a DVD with all the hits plus extra tracks complemented by a booklet of 40 pages.

In 2007 the sisters backed Dennis Jones' reggae cover of "Mississippi" which was produced by Kees Tel. The sisters also featured in a video clip with him in The Making of Mississippi as well as for the cover version of the same song. In the same year, Toni also met Jones on a radio tour with Radio Nederland Wereldomroep to promote her newly solo album Fantastic Stories as well as "Mississippi", which was Dennis's first single. 11 songs for Worlds United in 2009, and a third in 2012 released as a single called "Impressions". dedicated to Werner Theunissen, who died on 18 January 2010, in Great Britain of heart failure.

She recorded an album with Fijian artist Daniel Rae Costello called "Let the World Sing" and released her Fiji tour live concert album on DVD as The Golden Memories Tour, Fiji in 2010. This album contains the song "Impressions" which was the last Theunissen had written for her.

Toni recorded a duet "Our Love is So Big" with Eddy Hilberts, the producer of Pussycat, for his dance album 'Honey come on, Dance with Me' in 2011. The CD was released in July 2013 on iTunes

In 2012, Toni recorded two singles – "Happy" and "What Love can Do" – with songwriter and composer Paul Logister. They were released in August 2013 on iTunes.

At present Toni lives in Brunssum. She has two children, Nick and Kimberly, and a granddaughter, Genyva.

In October 2006, she performed for 15,000 people at the Köln Arena in Cologne together with Chris Andrews and Harpo. She also gives concerts in countries including Bulgaria, Slovenia and Greece.

On 15 July 2010 she performed in Fiji at two shows organized by Fijian artist Daniel Rae Costello and his band The Cruzez at the Vodafone Arena, Suva and the Denarau Golf and Racquet Club, Nadi, respectively, as part of the Golden Memories Tour concert. At the shows, Toni sang "Bad Boy", "Mississippi", "Smile", "Same Old Song" and "Georgie". Costello and The Cruzez played hits such as "Take Me to the Island" and "Samba".

Toni's live stage performance on 12 July 2014 at the Americana International Festival, Prestwold Airfield, Loughborough, U.K., was met with positive audience reception. Numbers she performed included "Mississippi", "Georgie", "Raised on Love" and "That will be the day" (originally sung by Buddy Holly). Other artists from USA, UK and Europe included Chas'n'dave, The Country Sisters (CZ), Bo Walton, T.Rextasy and Lazy Dog among many others who performed a mixture of Rock 'n' Roll, country, R&B, Blues and Alternative Music of the previous five decades.

Discography

Albums – Toni Willé Golden Memories Tour, Fiji (2010) Worlds United (2009) Fantastic Stories (2006) Country Duets with Major Dundee (2005) American Duets – Benny Neyman & Willé (2001) New Words to an Old Love Song (1989) Working Girl (1987) Privilège (1985)

Top singles – Toni Willé "Happy" (2013) "Impressions: dedicated to composer Werner Theunissen" (2012) "Doin' la Bamba" (2012) "Mississippi" (2012) "I Wanna Love You" (2012) "Dreaming of a Christmas With You" (2012) "Like a Child (Radio Version)" (2012) "Can't Get Over You" (2012) "Fantasy" (2012) "Never Wanna Lose" (2012) "I'm Only Dreaming" (2012) "As Long As You Are Mind (Radio Version)" (2012) "Time Slips Away (Radio Version)" (2012) "Good Times" (2005) "Somewhere Someone / Slow Train – The Major Dundee Band & Toni Willé with Pussycat" (2004) "Heart Half Empty – Danny Vera & Toni Willé" (2003) "What If I Say Goodbye – Benny Neyman & Toni Willé" (2001) "Two Piña Coladas – Benny Neyman & Toni Willé" (2001) "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight – Benny Neyman & Toni Willé " (1999) "Raised on Love – The Major Dundee Band & Toni Willé" (1995) "Love in a Heatwave" (theme song for Motion Picture 'De Flat') (1994) "It Turned out to be You / Sometimes Love – The Major Dundee Band & Toni Willé " (1990) "Good Year for the Roses / The Writing on the Wall" (1989) "Roll On / Help Me Make It Through The Night" (1989) "Incredible You / Drift Away" (1989) "Falling in and out of Love / Working Girl" (1987) "Sweet Music to my Soul / What do you do to Me" (1987) "Out of Reach / Have You Ever" (1986) "Every Beat Of My Heart / Sunday Sunrise" (1985) "Hungry Nights / Sail Away" (1985) "We'll Put the World Together Again / What's Forever For – Marco Bakker & Toni Willé" (1982)

Compilations – Pussycat feat. Toni Willé De Top 10 Van: Pussycat feat. Toni Willé (2011) Pussycat – The Complete Collection (2004) Hollands Glorie: Pussycat feat. Toni Willé (2001) 25 Jaar Na Mississippi: Pussycat feat. Toni Willé (2001) The Very Best of Pussycat: Pussycat feat. Toni Willé (1996) The Collection & More: Pussycat feat. Toni Willé (1994)

Albums – Pussycat Pussycat – First Of All (1976) Pussycat – Souvenirs (1977) Pussycat – Wet Day In September (1978) Pussycat – Simply To Be With You (1979) Pussycat – Blue Lights (1981) Pussycat – After All (1983)

Vinyl singles – Sweet Reaction "Come back my dream / Call me Maria" (1970 "Tell Alain / If it's only love" (1971) "Daddy / Tell Alain" (1975) "Daddy / It's long ago" (1977)

Music charts Toni Willé music in the Dutch charts Date Position Title Weeks 25 December 1999 49 Neyman & Willé – Oh, How I Miss You Tonight (Single) 5 31 March 2001 78 Neyman & Willé – American Duets (Album) 2

Pussycat album in the Dutch charts Date Position Title Weeks Label 24 March 2001 26 25 jaar na Mississippi 7 EMI 6 June 1981 10 Blue Lights 15 EMI 17 April 1976 4 First Of All 21 EMI 14 May 1977 6 Souvenirs 8 EMI 5 November 1994 60 The Collection & More 3 EMI 23 September 1978 16 Wet Day in September 7 EMI

Pussycat singles in the German charts Date Position Title Weeks Top 10 Label 26 January 1976 1 Mississippi 32 21 EMI 6 April 1976 1 Mississippi * 16 8 EMI 12 April 1976 24 Mississippi (dtsch) 8 – EMI 19 April 1976 6 Georgie 24 16 EMI 21 April 1976 14 Mississippi (dtsch) 6 – EMI 5 May 1976 8 Georgie * 16 4 EMI 7 July 1976 18 Georgie (dtsch) 2 – EMI 27 September 1976 9 Smile 27 6 EMI 30 September 1976 22 Smile * 8 – EMI 15 December 1976 10 Ein Altes Lied 8 2 EMI 7 February 1977 41 Ein Altes Lied * 2 – EMI 17 April 1977 41 My Broken Souvenir 2 – EMI 18 April 1977 22 My Broken Souvenir * 10 – EMI 16 August 1977 13 Abschiedssouvenir 4 – EMI 21 December 1977 38 If you ever come to Amsterdam 6 – EMI 1 September 1978 9 Wet Day in September 10 – EMI 15 September 1980 46 Doing La Bamba 2 – EMI =Airplay Charts