Reggy Tielman

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Reggy Tielman was guitarist of the Tielman Brothers, the first Dutch-Indonesian band to have success on the international stage in the 1950s. The group was formed by four children of Herman Tielman from Kupang in eastern Indonesia and Flora Lorine Hess: Andy on vocals and guitar, Reggy on guitar, Ponthon on bass and Loulou on drums. They grew up in Indonesia, where they first performed under the names Timor Brothers and The Four T's.

Music and breakthrough

In 1956 the family moved to the Netherlands, first to Breda and later to The Hague. The brothers stood out for their spectacular show, with guitars flying through the air. In 1958 they played at the world exhibition in Brussels in the Dutch pavilion. Hired as filler for fifteen minutes, they seized their chance: they threw instruments to one another and Ponthon played the bass with his teeth. Performances in German clubs followed, including on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg. Their 1958 single Rock Little Baby of Mine is regarded as the first Dutch rock 'n' roll record.

Influence

The band played a kind of rock 'n' roll that was later called Indorock, a blend of Indonesian and Western music with roots in kroncong. In Germany they grew into a popular live act; in the Netherlands they remained less well known. In early 1964 Andy and Reggy were injured in a serious car accident in Germany, after which the line-up changed often. In 1990 there was a reunion concert, without Reggy and Ponthon. Reggy died in March 2014, the last of the four brothers, at the age of eighty.

Listening