Jerney Kaagman | |
|---|---|
 Kaagman in 1984 | |
| Born | Christina Henriette Kaagman July 9, 1947 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1969–2012 |
Christina Henriette "Jerney"[1] Kaagman (born July 9, 1947) is a Dutch singer-musician and music executive best known as the lead singer for the progressive rock group Earth and Fire, with whom she scored a slew of international hits between 1969 and 1990. She recorded as a solo artist also, and after her career, as a singer worked for the music industry, as president of the Dutch musicians' union BV Pop; as a public relations manager for a radio station; and on television, as a judge on television talent show Idols.
_-_TopPop_1973_4.png)
Kaagman attended high school at Huygens Lyceum, Voorburg and was a member of the school choir and a school band, The Rangers. She also completed a secretarial course.
In September 1969 she was invited to sing in the pop group Earth and Fire. After the band split in 1983, she made two solo albums and appeared in the first issue of Dutch Playboy (May 1983).[2] She made another appearance at the age of 60 in April 2008.[3][4]
Kaagman was president of the Dutch musicians' union BV Pop. In the nineties, she was the public relations manager at the radio station Noordzee FM, and in 2000 she became director of Buma Culture Foundation. On December 26, 2008, she announced her departure from the music industry on Radio 1 and supports making music downloads illegal.[citation needed]
On March 31, 2009, Jerney Kaagman left Buma Culture. At the farewell reception, she was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.[citation needed]
Kaagman never married, but had a long time relationship with Bert Ruiter,[5] bass player for Focus and Earth and Fire. On October 18, 2012, she announced her retirement, due to suffering from Parkinson's disease.[6]
