Waylon (singer)
Waylon | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Willem Bijkerk |
Born | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 20 April 1980
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1997–present |
Website | waylon |
Willem Bijkerk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləm ˈbɛikɛr(ə)k]; born 20 April 1980), known professionally as Waylon, is a Dutch singer. His stage name came from the name of his idol Waylon Jennings. He represented the Netherlands with Ilse DeLange as part of the Common Linnets at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, finishing in second place in the final.[1] He represented the Netherlands again as a solo artist in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 and finished in 18th place.
Career
Waylon started his career in 1995 singing in the television program
In 2001, he lived and worked for a year in the United States where he also performed with his idol, Waylon Jennings. After Jennings died in 2002, Waylon returned to the Netherlands. Waylon's talent was further developed with Lisa Boray. After returning from the United States, he joined the cover band Santa Rosa. He also sang in the band Millstreet.[3] In 2005, Waylon and Rachel Kramer performed as the duo Rachel & Waylon in the preliminary rounds of the National Song Contest with the song "Leven als een beest."
Breakthrough
Waylon took part in the first season of
A year later,
In April 2010, Waylon won his first major music award, a
Waylon released "The Escapist" in October 2011 as the first single from his second album, After All, which was released on 3 November 2011. This was followed by the singles "Lose It" and "Lucky Night". Waylon was voted best singer in the April 2012 3FM Awards.
Eurovision Song Contest 2014
Together with singer
Waylon last performed with Delange at a concert on 21 June 2014 in Enschede, following which he left The Common Linnets.[7][8]
Heaven After Midnight
Waylon's third studio album, Heaven After Midnight, was released in September 2014 and reached #1 in the Dutch iTunes charts as well as in the Dutch Album Top 100 in the week of its release.
Seeds
In 2016, Waylon made a few appearances on talk show RTL Late Night; he lectured about the origins of pop-music and previewed tracks from his forthcoming album which came as a surprise. Seeds covered all styles and was led by the 70s-disco-tribute Our Song. He continued to explore his versatility by playing an annual concert-series in at the Rotterdam Ahoy in a joint venture with Radio Veronica's Top 1000 All Time Classics.
Eurovision Song Contest 2018
On 9 November 2017, it was announced that Waylon would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 for the Netherlands. The choice of the song "Outlaw in 'Em" was announced on 2 March 2018. The Eurovision Song Contest fans gave him the pet name 'Walton'. He performed in the second semi-final on 10 May 2018 and qualified for the final on 12 May 2018. Waylon finished 18th place with 121 points. In June 2018, Waylon returned to RTL Late Night to perform Thanks But No Thanks, one of the other shortlisted songs, for the departing host Humberto Tan.
In 2019 Waylon returned as a professional in It Takes Two. He also hosted the second episode of DWDD Summerschool exploring the key-artists of Outlaw country. He continued to do so in a theatre-tour titled My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.
Human
Late 2019, Waylon released his sixth album Human; early 2020, he announced that the fifth edition of his Ahoy concert-series will be devoted to Dutch(-language) pop classics.
Personal life
He married in 2002, fathered a son, Dylan, and divorced after three years of marriage.[11] He has a daughter and a son with YouTuber Bibi Breijman: Teddy and Chester [12]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NL [13] |
BEL (FL) [14] | ||||||||||||||||||
Wicked Ways |
|
3 | — | ||||||||||||||||
After All |
|
8 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Heaven After Midnight |
|
1 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Seeds |
|
7 | — | ||||||||||||||||
The World Can Wait |
|
1 | 107 | ||||||||||||||||
Human |
|
6 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Gewoon Willem |
|
33 | — | ||||||||||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. |
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NL [13] |
BEL (FL) [14] |
SCO [15] | |||||||||||||||||
" Wicked Way ]"
|
2009 | 8 | — | — | Wicked Ways | ||||||||||||||
"Hey (Waylon) " | 2010 | 43 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
"Happy Song (Waylon) " | 46 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
"Nothing to Lose" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
"The Escapist (Waylon) " | 2011 | 27 | — | — | After All | ||||||||||||||
"Lose It" | 2012 | 43 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
"Lucky Night" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
"Grasping Song" | 2014 | 42 | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||||||
"Giving Up Easy" | — | — | — | Heaven After Midnight | |||||||||||||||
"Love Drunk" | 68 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
"Mis je zo graag" | 2016 | 72 | 73 | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||||||
"Our Song" | — | 66 | — | Seeds | |||||||||||||||
"Outlaw in 'Em" | 2018 | 37 | 90 | 74 | The World Can Wait | ||||||||||||||
"Nog 1 nacht"[16] | 2023 | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. |
References
- ^ a b "Eurovision 2014 Results: Voting & Points". Eurovision World. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ Roggeveen, Herman (19 October 2009). "Waylon was Harrie de Hengst uit Telekids". NLpop (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Waylon Biografie". NPO Radio 2 Soul & Jazz (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ "Waylon - It's A Man's World (James Brown)". YouTube. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Nederlandse zanger tekent bij Motown". NU.nl (in Dutch). 23 July 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ "Ilse DeLange en Waylon naar Eurovisie Songfestival". AD.nl. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (28 May 2014). "The Netherlands: Waylon Leaves The Common Linnets". Eurovoix. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ Knoops, Roy (29 May 2014). "ESC Today". The Netherlands: Waylon Decides To Fly Free. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ "Waylon - Heaven After Midnight". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ "Waylon schreef nieuw album in tien dagen". NU.nl. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ Cortie, Patricia (8 May 2010). "Waylon verliet vrouw voor droom". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ "'Bibi Breijman is dit weekend bevallen'". Telegraaf (in Dutch). 25 November 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Discografie Waylon". Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b "Discografie Waylon". Ultratop. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100: 18 May 2018 – 24 May 2018". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "New music this week (part 2): Songs from Eleni Foureira, Bilal Hassani, Dami Im and more". Wiwibloggs. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.