José Hoebee

Josina van de Wijdeven (born 29 March 1954), known as José Hoebee, is a Dutch pop singer. She was a member of Luv', a famous Dutch girl group in the late 1970s and early 1980s that scored hits in more than 15 countries. In late 1981, she went solo and was successful in her homeland and in the Flanders region of Belgium between 1982 and 1985. She formed a duo known as Bonnie & José with Bonnie St. Claire to record Dutch cover versions of ABBA's songs.

Luv' went through line-up changes and reunited several times. On 7 February 2020 the group's management announced that Luv' would stop all their activities due to José's ill health.

Hoebee started her career as a professional singer in the early 1970s as a member of a folk & country band, Young Tradition, formed with her two sisters. This formation took part in talent shows, changed its name into Elongi and recorded a single produced by Piet Souer, who later suggested that Hoebee join Luv'.

In 1976, she became a member of girl group Luv' with Patty Brard and Marga Scheide. She chose José Andreoli as an artist name. From 1977 to 1981, Luv' scored a string of hit records in the Benelux countries, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, France, South Africa, New Zealand and Mexico. In March 1981, the group announced its first dissolution. The pop formation reunited later on several occasions.

After Luv' split up, Hoebee went solo, gave up her artist name (José Andreoli) and married record producer Will Hoebee. The wedding reception took place in David Soul's villa in Los Angeles. Her new career was less international than the one she had as a Luv' member. Artistically, she chose a repertoire featuring a majority of cover versions of pop standards, including "I Will Follow Him", with the help of her husband. Her first album The Good Times was produced by Pim Koopman and released in 1982.

Twelve of her singles (among them a #1 hit and duets) entered the record charts; twelve in the Netherlands and five in Flanders. Hoebee was the first female singer who had #1 hits on the Dutch Top 40 as a member of a group (Luv') and as a solo artist. Diana Ross (of the Supremes), Yvonne Keeley (of the Star Sisters), Melanie C (of the Spice Girls), Sita (of K-Otic) and Beyoncé (of Destiny's Child) later established the same record in the hit parade.

After the birth of her son Tim (on 14 October 1985), Hoebee slowed down her career. She retired from show business in 1989 to devote herself to her family. Four years later, she made a brief comeback with Luv' and then escaped from entertainment again to live with her relatives in Best, a village near Eindhoven. For one year and a half, she was the owner of a video rental shop (The Movie Store) that she sold in the summer of 2003. ...

Source: Article "José Hoebee" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.