Hitmaking Classic Rock Guitarist Dead at 77: ‘I Was a Massive Fan’ originally appeared on Parade.
George Kooymans, whose guitar powered the 1973 rock classic “Radar Love” by Golden Earring, has died. He was 77.
The guitarist-vocalist, who co-wrote the classic with the Dutch band’s singer Barry Hay, died from the effects of ALS, the degenerative muscle disease he was diagnosed with in 2020 that led him to depart the band he co-founded a year later.
“We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work extended beyond Golden Earring,” Kooyman’s family said in a statement released to the press. “George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend.”
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Kooymans also wrote Golden Earring’s other massive hit, “Twilight Zone,” which topped Billboard’s Rock Top Tracks Chart in 1982. The group, formed in 1961 and originally known as the Tornados, is considered one of the most successful Dutch rock bands of all time.
Among those who are mourning Kooymans is famed rock photographer Anton Corbijn, who posted a vintage photo of the guitarist standing in front of a row of windmills along with a caption on Instagram.
“i’m sad to report that George Kooymans passed away from ALS. he was an original member of the Golden Earring, the biggest band to come from the Netherlands ever. i was a massive fan when i was a teenager and proud to have worked with them a few times over the years. i last visited him at his home in Belgium in 2022. my thoughts are with his wife Millie, his children and with Barry, Rinus and Cesar. photo 1986 near the Hague,” he wrote.
The ALS Netherlands Foundation also paid tribute to Kooymans. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the other band members, and we wish them much strength,” said Limore Noach, director of the ALS Netherlands Foundation. “When it became known that George Kooymans had ALS and could no longer perform, it was heartwarming to see how the whole of the Netherlands rallied in support.”
Hitmaking Classic Rock Guitarist Dead at 77: ‘I Was a Massive Fan’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 24, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.