Henny Vrienten grew up in Hilvarenbeek. In the 1960s, he played in various groups including the band Les Cruches. In the early 1970s, Boudewijn de Groot asked Vrienten to join his backing band. Later, he released music under the pseudonyms Ruby Carmichael (1974) and Paul Santos (1977). In 1980, Vrienten joined the band Doe Maar, replacing Piet Dekker.
The singer of Doe Maar also has a lot of solo work and collaborations to his name. His biggest hits without Doe Maar are the songs with Herman Brood '50 Jaar' and 'Als Je Wint'.
After Doe Maar
When Doe Maar split up in 1984, Vrienten did not sit still. By then, he had already released his solo album Geen Ballade. The song 'Als Je Wint' with Herman Brood became a hit, staying in the Dutch charts for six weeks and reaching the tenth position.
Mijn Hart Slaapt Nooit
In 1991, Vrienten released the album Mijn Hart Slaapt Nooit. Among others, Boudewijn De Groot, Joost Belinfante, Jan Akkerman and Jan Pijnenburg played on the album.
Theatre tours and film music
With the group The Magnificent Seven, which also included Fay Lovsky, Jan Pijnenburg and Joost Belinfante, he adapted historical soundtracks and well-known tunes and performed several theatre tours. During this period, he composed music for the films Spoorloos, Jan Rap en Z’n Maat, Left Luggage, Abeltje, Kruimeltje, Madelief: Krassen in het Tafelblad and The Discovery Of Heaven, Pietje Bell. His work can also be heard on television, including in Unit 13 and Het Klokhuis. In 1996, Henny Vrienten received a Zilveren Harp for his film compositions.
Nacht, the Soundtrack
In 2006, Vrienten released Nacht, De Soundtrack on CD and DVD. He composed the music to the rhythm of the night, 70 heartbeats per minute. Among others, Frank Boeijen, Thé Lau, Boudewijn de Groot, Tom Barman (from the Belgian band dEUS), Def P from Osdorp Posse, Pieter Both from Beef!, Jan Rot, Solex, Tom America and comedian Herman Finkers contributed to this project.
Aardige Jongens
In August 2008, the album Aardige Jongens was released, an album made with friends Frank Boeijen and Henk Hofstede.
Vreemde Kostgangers
Vreemde Kostgangers was a collaboration between George Kooymans, Boudewijn de Groot and Henny Vrienten. The group name is linked to the three mentioned artists. Vreemde Kostgangers stands for Vrienten, Kooymans and Groot.
The trio first came together at the 65th birthday of Cesar Zuiderwijk (2013), drummer and colleague of George Kooymans from Golden Earring. Zuiderwijk's wife wanted to surprise her husband and organised a performance with the three. They enjoyed it so much that plans were made for more joint performances.
New songs were written for this and "old" songs were given a new twist. The songs had to be adapted to the "peculiarities" of the three. For example, De Groot is not a great technician on the guitar, while Kooymans is; De Groot and Vrienten prefer to play sitting down, but Kooymans does not, etc. The three men each had their own approach: De Groot was aware of the expectations their three names would raise, Vrienten wanted to see how it would grow, and Kooymans would see.
De Groot had known Vrienten since the seventies, when Vrienten played in his backing band together with, among others, Ernst Jansz. They would later play together again in Doe Maar. Vrienten and Kooymans knew each other from chance encounters when Doe Maar and Golden Earring performed together and when they played a few songs on request. Vrienten also admitted to having attended a concert in his youth when Golden Earring was still called Golden Earrings, even though the gentlemen are almost the same age (1948) (Vrienten's career started later).
The tour originally lasted until 18 May 2020, but was cut short due to the coronavirus crisis after the concert on 12 March 2020. The thirty remaining dates were eventually postponed to 2022, however, Kooymans announced on 5 January 2021 that he would stop performing due to ALS. On 23 April 2021, De Groot announced that the tour was definitively cancelled due to Kooymans' illness and that there would be no more performances by Vreemde Kostgangers.
Passing of Henny Vrienten
On 22 September 2021, the planned farewell tour of Doe Maar was cancelled due to a sick Henny Vrienten. No details about the nature of the illness were given. Since no new dates were announced, it quickly became clear that things were probably very serious. Henny Vrienten
"Henny and the other Doe Maar members, as well as the crew and of course all the fans, were really looking forward to the farewell tour," reads a short statement. "We all regret that the tour cannot go ahead and wish Henny a speedy recovery and strength." Three weeks earlier, Vrienten had posted on Instagram that he was counting down the weeks. 'We're coming!', he wrote alongside a selfie of the band members and the crew. A month ago, the singer uploaded a video in which he sang to Prime Minister Rutte. 'We're going on tour, yay! I'm practising my fingers blue,' he sang while accompanying himself on guitar.
Vrienten also said he no longer believed in religion. "I don't believe in an afterlife. I see the end of life as a light switch; it gets pressed and it's black. That your spirit would leave your body; I'm afraid I can't believe in that."
And then on 25 April 2022 came the terrible news of Henny's passing. No cause of death was reported. "He was a wonderful, loving father and husband; a wise, erudite man with a razor-sharp sense of humour and language," his family said. The funeral will take place in private. The family asks for peace and privacy and will make no further statements.
Top 2000
In the 23rd edition of the Top 2000, Vrienten appears together with Brood at position 1892 with the song "Als Je Wint". It is likely that in the 24th edition, due to Vrienten's passing, more songs will enter the Top 2000.
Sunday Morning Classic: Geen Ballade
On 1 May 2022, Henny Vrienten was the focus of Sunday Morning Classic with the album "Geen Ballade".
After the breakup of Doe Maar, Henny came out in 1984 with his solo album "Geen Ballade", a true masterpiece. The album is a beautiful "documentary" and shows a snapshot of the once so famous Dutch teenage idol. It is yet again proof that Henny was a master of making down-to-earth music. It was his first solo album after Doe Maar and the typical Doe Maar sound can be heard at times.
The album also includes the song “Als Je Wint”, the song he recorded together with Herman Brood. The cover of that album was also designed by friend Brood.
"And that I don't sing ballads
Don't twist myself into a hundred thousand knots
Don't jump into your arms like a little dog
Doesn't mean that
Doesn't yet mean that I don't love you"
(source: NPO and Wikipedia)
