Being a father and a manager at the same time. For Justus Verkerk from Midwoud – father of singer and producer Antoon – it is the most normal thing in the world. Countless kilometers on Dutch roads and the loss of his wife brought the two even closer together.
Radiant faces on a red carpet in Amsterdam, on a Sunday evening in April. With protagonist Tijn Verkerk (Antoon) – whose film Angel premiered – but also with his father, Justus. Not entirely coincidentally creator and producer of the documentary and manager of the acclaimed artist, who sold out the Ziggo Dome twice more in December. “This is a very special night.”
He willingly poses for the photographers, together with his mother, Antoon himself and his two daughters, Anneleen and Josefien. The film is perhaps the crowning glory of his work as a father. He recognizes his son’s musical talent at an early age and actively supports him in this. “Don’t forget that he has always worked hard for this success. We went all over the country together from the moment he was booked as a DJ. I always went along. That started when he was thirteen years old.”
Later, difficult years followed for the Verkerk family. The wife of Justus and mother of Tijn (Antoon) – Heleen – dies in 2020, after an illness. Just when Antoon is facing a national breakthrough. Justus says about this in the film: “His life was on the one hand gaining momentum and on the other hand you had a hard stop.”
His mother is also mentioned on the red carpet in Amsterdam – of course. “Of course the loss is great. I would rather have had my mother instead of that career,” Antoon says to the rotating camera of RTL Boulevard.
Family and friends
Because gold records and a sold-out Ziggo Dome are fun, but with Antoon, family and friends always predominate. The group of people who were close to him before his breakthrough still stand that way. “Family is the most important factor in my life. I’m really glad they’re there and sometimes they tell me to shut up,” he says with a smile. Then, more seriously: “This adventure is a lot of fun, but most of all it’s a lot of fun to do it with my friends and my dad.”
Because Justus is always around him. Not only as a father, but also as a manager. Antoon takes care of the artistic part, Justus takes care of the rest. It creates a special and close bond. “We know exactly when something is business and when it is not. At the dinner table it can be about ‘the business’, but a moment later we can just as easily laugh together again. We can make that separation between work and private life good.”
“I would rather have had my mother instead of that career”
The countless trips in the car, the sudden success and the sadness after the loss of wife and mother: it brings them even closer together, Justus and his children. “You are then pushed on top of each other. We can all communicate well at home. Even if it doesn’t work for a while. That is important. You have to get through it together.”
Since the stormy developments surrounding Antoon, a lot of attention has been paid to Tijn. Also at home. “It is often about Tijn,” says youngest daughter Josefien in the film. “That’s right,” says Justus. “But I try to balance that. Such a film is of course cool, but yesterday I was at my oldest daughter Anneleen’s rowing competitions: it’s also cool! I am very proud of all three children.”
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