Henny Vrienten was a Dutch musician, best known as the singer and bassist of the popular 80s ska pop band Doe Maar. He also composed television and film scores.
Vrienten played in several bands before he joined Doe Maar, such as Les Cruches, The Rumbones and Sammie America’s Gasphetti. While playing for singer-songwriter Boudewijn de Groot he met keyboard player Ernst Jansz who later asked him to join Doe Maar. The group’s skalike pop music became very popular in the Netherlands during the 80s. With hits like ’32 Jaar’, ‘Smoorverliefd’ or ‘Doris Day’ reach top positions in the hit lists.
During the years the band grew weary of its huge popularity, complete with screaming teenage girls in front of the stage every concert. In March 1984 the band split up and Vrienten started a solo career writing TV and film scores. He also recorded occasional songs with Dutch artists like Frank Boeijen, Henk Hofstede, George Kooymans and Boudewijn de Groot.
On 25 April 2022 Henny Vrienten died.
In the documentary ‘In His Own Words’ director Martin Kuiper talks to Vrienten about his youth, his father, music, successes and his musical friendships. The film is based on more than three and a half hours of unpublished conversations. In the film, Vrienten also plays a fragment of a song that has never been released.