Tilburg is the city where the singer and guitarist van Doe Maar Groot, who died three years ago, became Groot. But in the city there is no trace of the then extremely popular Henny Vrienten. That should change, says his friend Tom America: “Baptize the Fontys Rock Academy in the Henny Vrienten Academy.”
The house where Henny Vrienten lived on the Bisschop Zwijsenstraat no longer exists. But there could be a memorial plaque, for example, says Tom. In the 1980s, the park opposite the house was a true type of pilgrimage for whole groups of girls. Vrienten was a pop idol and very popular against will and thanks. “He couldn’t go anywhere and found that extremely annoying. It is also one of the reasons that Doe Maar ended,” says Tom. In the end, Vrienten went to Amsterdam, where he shaken the image of girls idol.
Tom is annoyed that in Tilburg nothing at all reminds of Henny Vrienten. Near his former house are a lot of clicks. “I call this an inverted monument, a click-finishing place. Tilburg is not doing anything about Hennie Vrienten and to accentuate it even more, they have created this monument. Because it is of course a very firm procedure. You don’t often see so many clickos together.”
The initiator to place Henny Vrienten in Tilburg on a pedestal believes that the Fontys Rock Academy should be renamed the Henny Vrienten Academy. And because Vrienten was crazy about guitars and had a huge collection of those instruments, there should be a work of art in the city in the form of a guitar.
Tom also argues for a Hennie Vrienten festival, full of music, art and culture. Because in addition to pop musician, the Doe Maar Frontman was also a versatile artist who was concerned with poetry, art and composing film music.
There are still various buildings in Tilburg that remind us of freezers. In a stately mansion opposite the Rock Academy, he taught the guitar. And in the center is the former dance club De Spoel. Sung by Vrienten with the legendary text: I know a very nice tent, there is a very nice band.
“Generationers of Hennie Vrienten and entrepreneurs now think that something should come in Tilburg,” says Tom. “The repertoire of Doe Maar is so strong, that will of course survive. Walk into a supermarket or turn on the radio and you still hear his songs, although not everyone will know that it is.
Tom is convinced that Tilburg is ready for a tribute. “I have very good expectations. People are really enthusiastic in the city, there is support for it and we go for it.”
Hans van den Hurk is the boss of the Rock Academy and understands the call for more recognition very well. “We had a very big composer in Tilburg with Henny Vrienten,” he says. “With our 25th anniversary we gave him a great tribute. His son has performed. We only had to deal with him as a training. A Duncan Laurence Academy or Krezip Academy would be more logical. But I think it is an excellent idea to place a statue at our school so that he can also inspire future generations of musicians.”