Lee Towers remains the target of ridicule in Today Inside, even though the 77-year-old singer has said that he finds it very disrespectful. “I’m not going to lie here,” says Johan Derksen.
It really upsets Lee Towers that he is put through the wringer every time in Today Inside. The 77-year-old singer no longer sings like he used to and that is very much remembered by Johan Derksen in particular. He, and also colleague René van der Gijp, think Lee is a bit of a faded glory and argue for his retirement.
‘I’m not going to lie’
Lee is very sorry to hear that every time. He told Shownieuws that he is a bit sad about this and that he finds it very disrespectful of the men of VI.
The leader of the trio, Wilfred Genee, brings it up in the Today Inside from last night. “He thought it was disrespectful, I saw on Shownieuws.”
Johan: “Yes, but I can hardly lie here and say that he is still in good voice. It is no longer a shadow of the old Lee Towers from its heyday.”
Ridiculous
Referee Bas Nijhuis was at the Mega Pirate Festijn in the GelreDome last weekend and Lee also performed there. “I was standing in that hallway and all those artists came by and they all started saying: ‘And it’s ridiculous that Johan Derksen finishes Lee Towers like that!’ They took it all in for those Lee Towers. One after another, huh?”
He continues: “I thought I’d take a look and he sang Sweet Caroline. But really good, Johan. He sang really well, man. And he didn’t let the audience sing either, he just sang it himself. He did really well.”
Joke telling
What does Özcan Akyol think? He says: “You know what Lee Towers is really good at? Telling jokes. That is really true. When you’re around him, he says, “Us, I went to the photo shop the other day and I say to the guy, ‘Do you take passport photos?’ ‘No, for thirty years!’ he says.”
The joke lies in the space bar: the difference between ‘passport photos’ and ‘passport photos’. “And he finds that very funny!”, says Özcan. “Then you have to laugh along. He is a good joke teller.”
Sympathetic
Johan has quite some sympathy for Lee, but he thinks you have to be honest. “He is also a very likeable man, but you have to be able to see things differently. When he performs live… He can’t handle it anymore.”