April 29, 2026 The Limburger, Culture & Media: Section: interviews based on song lyrics, by Rob Cobben © Harry Heuts Translated by Diana D. Le Phil Bee proposed to his wife on TV and is now traveling the world with André Rieu: "I was planning to delete the dating app from my phone" Phil Bee has been making music since his teenage years and sang in various bands, but only broke through at the age of 62 when he won The Voice Senior. Now the 67-year-old singer is touring the world with André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra. "To me, this feels like the Champions League. I am having a dream year." Lyrics as a guide Using song lyrics, we interview a well-known Limburger from the world of media and culture every two weeks. This time it is singer and songwriter Phil Bee (67), who released a new record a few weeks ago: "Hold on to Your Love". Bee, whose real name is Philippe Bastiaans, was born in the Walloon (French Belgian) town of Jemappes, grew up in Margraten and now lives in Wijlre (NL). His great passions in life are sport and music. In his youth, he was an accomplished tennis player; he was a multiple Limburg champion. In the late eighties, he also made a name for himself as a racing driver, as a member of the Right Foot Racing team. He also dreamed of a career as a guitarist – he founded his first band in 1990 but eventually became a singer. He sang in various bands, toured with Jan Akkerman and Steve Lukather (Toto), among others, and won the Dutch Blues Award in the Best Vocalist category in 2016. He gained widespread fame through the TV programs We Want More (2020, finalist), The Voice Senior (2021, winner), and The Tribute Battle of the Bands (2024, finalist). In the latter program, he performed songs by Joe Cocker with great success. Two years ago, he performed for the first time with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra during the Vrijthof Concerts in Maastricht, and since this year, he has been touring the world with that ensemble. Phil Bee is married to Jacqueline and has two sons from a previous marriage. 01 "As long as he doesn't become a footballer, they might kick him half to death" (Boudewijn de Groot - Jimmy) “As a little boy, I dreamed of becoming a race car driver or a pilot. Then came the music. I discovered my older brother’s LPs – Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix – listened to them, and played air guitar. With my first savings, I bought a real guitar. I practiced for thousands of hours, but my talent didn't lie there. One day, we were sitting together with friends. Someone played a Stevie Ray Vaughan song; I knew the lyrics and started singing along. One of the guys in the room said: 'What? You can sing!' That’s basically how it started. I am self-taught; I still can't read a note. "In 1990, I founded my first band – The Big Pig Band – where we played covers of our blues heroes. Many more bands would follow. I could never have imagined back then that I would become a successful artist, win The Voice Senior, and go on tour with André Rieu and his orchestra. I think it’s amazing. "The Johann Strauss Orchestra feels like one big, warm family, it's so much fun! Rieu spoils us, but it is also hard work, because you have to perform at 100 percent for every concert. That puts pressure on you. You have to be fit and your voice has to be in optimal condition. I am having a dream year; it is like I am playing in the Champions League right now. I will be with Rieu through the Christmas concerts at the MECC at the end of this year. In 2027, I will go on tour with Jan Akkerman. And after that? I have no idea. But something will surely come my way again." 02 "Dad, I'm becoming more and more like you" (Stef Bos - Papa) “My father Jean was also a singer. As a tenor, he performed in theaters and made a record. He earned his living in the business world. Among other things, he worked for the mail-order company 3 Suisses. In addition, he was sporty: he played tennis. I have great admiration for him. He grew up after the war. It was the time of reconstruction; of hard work, being thrifty, and saving. From my father, I inherited perseverance and ambition. When I start something, I go all in and want to be the best. Actually, I have followed in his footsteps in everything. I played tennis, was even a multiple Limburg champion, and became a singer. I, too, earned my living in trade. At the age of 22, I set up my own business together with my father. "I also have great respect for my mother Jeanne. She became a widow at a fairly young age and suddenly had to do everything herself. She was a gym teacher, but when she had children—I am the youngest of four—she focused entirely on raising them. The love for the French language and I got my culture from her. She came from Wallonia (French speaking Belgian province) and spoke Dutch with such a lovely French accent. "I was raised in a very international way. My father first worked for a French company and later in Germany. At home, we watched German television and RTBF, the French-speaking Belgian channel. We listened to a lot of French music. And while all my friends were sitting at home eating mashed potatoes, my mother cooked delicious foreign dishes. I look back on my childhood with so much love. My parents did everything for us. Their motto was: "If the children are doing well, we are doing well too." 03 "She understands the art of belonging to me" (Frans Halsema - For Her) “I sometimes hear people on television say that you can't fall in love anymore when you're older. What nonsense! I know from personal experience that it is actually possible. I have known Jacqueline for eight years now. A while after my divorce from my previous wife and a few relationships, I started dating. But that wasn't a success; meetings always ended in disappointment. I was planning to delete the dating app from my phone, but decided to make one last attempt. And then it hit the jackpot, and that beautiful woman from Heerlen crossed my path. After just the second meeting, we decided to move forward together; we deleted the Tinder app from our phones together. Three years later, we got married. I proposed to her during the finale of The Voice Senior, which I had won. Fortunately, she said yes! Jacqueline is the personal assistant to Hans van Wolde (of the Michelin-starred restaurant Brut172 in Reijmerstok, ed.) and, just like me, is a hard worker and a bon vivant. I hit the jackpot!” 04 "Because that awful feeling that arose back then. That never goes away and you did that" (Meau - You did that) “Life goes the way it goes, and with the benefit of hindsight, I might have acted differently in some cases back then than I did. I pulled stunts. Like tearing down the highway at 270 kilometers per hour. That was in 1989. I was caught by the police on the A2 near Weert, and the story made it into all the newspapers. That prank cost me a lot of money and I lost my driver's license for six months. That little speed demon is still inside me; I love stepping on the gas. "But I am never reckless. I don't believe I have any regrets. I did, however, feel guilty about the divorce for a long time. My previous wife and I had been married for almost twenty years when we separated. Our boys were still teenagers. I felt that I hadn't fully fulfilled my role as a parent at the time, and I still think about it sometimes. But well, if things aren't working out anymore, you shouldn't stay together for the sake of the children. Because that doesn't benefit anyone."

05 "I'm not reformed or anything, not Catholic. I only come here for the music" (DC Lewis - My Prayer) “I had a Catholic upbringing with baptism and communion; the whole package. My parents, uncles, and aunts were strictly religious. So, I had to go to church with them. Now, I have no connection with faith anymore. There is so much misery in the world that you think: there can’t be an Almighty. And then all those nonsense. Not to mention the abuse... But I don't want to judge anyone. If faith helps you in difficult moments and you draw strength from the thought that there is an afterlife, then that is fantastic. Whoever wants to believe should by all means do so. But don't bother me with it. For me, music is a kind of religion. With Jimi Hendrix as the messiah. A sweet and humble man, who inspired and made me and many others happy. Jimi was a genius." 06 "Everyone loves Doekoe. Everyone loves money" (Def Rhymz - Doekoe) “By the age of 22, I already had a trading company together with my father. I bought large quantities of clothing, shoes, and bags abroad and resold them to shops and wholesalers. I have known good and bad times. At one point, I had two companies, one in the Netherlands and one in Germany. A lot of capital was involved. But then the banking crisis hit, and the company went bankrupt. I really had to scrape by; it was a matter of survival. Fortunately, I had music alongside my work. And that became increasingly important. Not that you get very rich from it; only a small group of artists manage that. I can live well off it now; you won't hear me complaining. It is nice to have some extras, though, so you can do fun things. Going on vacation, taking trips, eating out; Jacqueline and I both love that.” 07 "Stars come, stars go. Only Elvis remains" (Gorki - Mia) “It is of course nice to enjoy fame as an artist. That is also very useful for contacts in the music industry. Recently, I was invited to a session with other musicians in a packed hall in Baarn. I felt a lot of respect; most people turned out to know who Phil Bee is. That is a great feeling! It took me a very long time to become somewhat famous, but I certainly won't let it go to my head. I am very down-to-earth about that. Today you get a standing ovation, tomorrow everyone has forgotten about you again and the focus is on someone else. "By the way, it surprises me how easy it is to become a so-called celebrity these days, whether you are a singer or an influencer. In the past, you only had radio and television, and you had to find a way to distinguish yourself from the rest. But via YouTube, TikTok, and all those other social media platforms of today, anyone can become famous, so to speak. And Al makes the confusion even greater. Someone posts a nice song on the internet, only to find out the artist doesn't exist... There are so many one-day stars; people run after them like meek sheep. I hold my breath, because what do those so-called celebrities actually have to say? And do they know that for every popular influencer, there are ten others ready to take their place? It is a bubble that will burst sooner or later." 08 "Come let us go south. Where Lent Originated" (Lex Uiting - To the South) “I was born in Wallonia – my mother is from there and I lived in Tilburg for the first few years of my life, where my father, a native of Borgharen (town in NL Limburg), had a job. I was 4 when we moved to Limburg. I feel like a Limburger in every gene; I grew up in Margraten and later lived in various places in Dutch and Belgian Limburg: Geleen, Hasselt, Lanaken, Maasmechelen, Maastricht, and Mheer. "A few years ago, we settled in Wijlre. But things could have turned out differently. At some point, my brother moved to Spain. When I was in my early twenties, I followed him and lived in Barcelona for a year. I was a good tennis player, was Limburg champion a few times, and hoped to take the next step in my sports career in Spain. But when that didn't work out, I came back to Limburg. I feel at home here; life is good and relaxed. I enjoy the beautiful surroundings every day when I go for a walk with the dog. "And as for the Carnival, I didn't grow up with it; my parents weren't partygoers. When I moved out on my own, I did become a serious carnival enthusiast. Since then, I have celebrated it almost all the time. I think it's great fun, especially in cities like Maastricht, Heerlen, and Venlo, where the carnival is a kind of street theater. It's a feast for the eyes!" 09 "You'll get help from time, boy. Time will drag you through it" (Not out of Lottum - Hold onto me) “I have had to say goodbye to quite a few people. My parents, my brother, good friends who died in car accidents at a young age. It was all very intense. My father was ill for twelve years and was 71 when he died from cancer. Far too young. My brother was even younger; he was only 61. I had a good relationship with both of them. The hardest part for me was that I couldn't share anything with them anymore. I used to call my brother Jean-Paul, who lived in Zaragoza, four or five times a week. Suddenly, that wasn't possible anymore. In some TV programs, they make a huge drama out of it. Then everyone gets to vent about the misery they have experienced. I can't do anything with that. Death is part of life, it is a cliché, and everyone will have to deal with it sooner or later. You just have to learn to deal with it, you have to accept it. You shouldn't dwell on your grief. Loss shapes you. But you have to move on and make the best of it. That prevents you from falling into a depression. Bring back beautiful memories. When I think of my father, mother, brother, and others who have passed away, I do so with a smile."

Ziggo Dome, January 2026, photo: ARP.

10 "No fearful heart than mine" (Rob de Nijs - Banger Hart) “Nothing human is alien to me. Things are going really well right now, but there are moments when it crosses my mind that this could be different tomorrow; that something bad might happen to the children, for example. Or to my health. My father and my brother both died of cancer. Sometimes I am afraid that I will get that disease too. On the other hand: my mother lived to be 90; she had good genes. Maybe I have them too. In general, I am easy-going: I don't let it drive me crazy.” 11 "Uncle Arie was about eighty. Uncle Willem was just about the same. They still thought life was wonderful" (Toon Hermans - Café Biljart) “I recently read an article stating that healthy people are often happiest between the ages of 60 and 70. I am in that phase of life now, and I experience it that way too. Next year, I’m going on tour again with guitarist Jan Akkerman. He is 80, but he is still very much in the prime of his life and enjoying it to the fullest. When I look in the mirror, I do see that I am old by now (67). But I still feel young. What does the future hold? Physical decline? Limitations? We’ll see. Live and take care of it then. 'Don't let the old man in', Keith Richards once said. I’ve taken that to heart.” 12 Phil Bee's own choice: Let it be, by The Beatles “'When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.' The lyrics are so simple and pure, they move me. You are dealing with a serious Beatles fan here! And 'Let it be' is one of my favorites from the repertoire of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. That isn't just due to the lyrics, but also to the music: the melody is beautiful. 'Let it be' is uncomplicated and has the right intonation. Quite different from the tunes—for that is what I call them—of today. Do young musicians even know the music of The Beatles anymore? I wonder, because everything seems the same these days. It is like eating at McDonald's. A lot of people go there. Not because the food is good, but because they don't know they can get something much tastier somewhere else. I think the references are lost. Producers say: there have to be so many beats per minute. It has to be recognizable and easy to sing along to. That is the new standard, but I find it unappealing to belong ...."