In 1969, Corry Konings was still a 17-year-old hairdresser from Sint Willebrord, until the owner of the local record store brought her into contact with Pierre Kartner. It was immediately clear that she had to sing something in the life song genre. “My voice just had that and I wanted it too.” The singer, who has now been in the business for 55 years, talked about it on Sunday in the Omroep Brabant talk show KRAAK.
Later, singer and talent scout Annie de Reuver looked for a band with one girl there. “I had just left the Mooks and with the Rekels I did an audition for Pierre and Annie and they said ‘Go and write a song for that girl‘ and that became ‘Crying is too late for you’.”
“Gosh, did I do that much?”
The song spent 41 weeks in the top 40: a record that stood for no less than 43 years. Until Pharell Williams’ song Happy was released in 2013, which was in the charts for almost a year.
From 1972 onwards, Corry went her own way, without Rekels. It was the time of big hits such as ‘You know what love is’ and ‘I get a very special feeling inside’. She made more than twenty albums and more than seventy singles.
It was the start of an impressive career that continues to this day. “I don’t know how many singles I have made. Over 70? Really? Wow, have I done so much? Well, I don’t keep track of that myself,” Corry laughs.
“Young and slightly older people create a wonderful atmosphere at festivals.”
She may have been on stage for decades, but she can still continue. “The song of life is becoming more and more alive,” she continues. “Especially because of those festivals. Young people and slightly older people come together and that creates a wonderful atmosphere.”
Corry is taking things a little easier this year. She is at a stage of life where she wants to pay more attention to children and grandchildren, but she still performs a lot. For example, this year on Easter Monday in ‘De Bevers Close’ with John de Bever in the Circustheater in Scheveningen.
