Biografi
Composer Jerry van Rooyen was born on December 31, 1928, in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He began music lessons at age eight and quickly joined a local brass band as a trumpet player, his favorite instrument. Van Rooyen studied for several years under the lead trumpet player of the Netherlands Symphonic Orchestra and later attended the Dutch conservatory in Den Haag, graduating as a music teacher. In 1944, he became the first trumpet player for a Dutch revue show. He toured Indonesia, America, and Scandinavia with notable Dutch musicians such as Ernst Van't Hoff, Boyd Bachman, Bengt Hallberg, Ake Persson, and Lars Gullin. In 1955, Jerry joined the Dutch radio orchestra The Ramblers as first trumpet player and arranger, while also performing with his own jazz combo in various Amsterdam nightclubs. In 1959, he moved to Paris, France, where he worked as a conductor and arranger for Fantana-Records, collaborating with artists like Michel Legrand, Claude Bolling, and Gilbert Bécaud.
In 1965, Jerry relocated to Berlin, Germany, to become the arranger for the S.F.B. Dance Orchestra. He composed innovative and groovy experimental jazz scores for Jess Franco’s films "Succubus," "Red Lips," and "Kiss Me, Monster." Additionally, he created funky music for movies including "The Vampire Happening," "Castle of the Creeping Flesh," "Death on a Rainy Day," and "How Short is the Time for Love." His stylish composition "The Great Train Robbery" served as the opening theme for the cult indie comedy "Free Enterprise." Jerry also composed the opening theme for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Afterward, he returned to the Netherlands, working as a producer and program director for the AVRO radio station and continued producing and arranging for jazz orchestras worldwide. In 1985, van Rooyen became director of the WDR radio big band and toured extensively throughout Asia. He lived in both the village of Laren and in Cologne, where he had an apartment in Europe’s tallest skyscraper. His hobbies included yoga and expanding his vast collection of CDs and EPs. Jerry van Rooyen was the brother of renowned trumpet player Aik van Rooyen. He passed away at the age of 80 on September 14, 2009.
