Jan Leyers

Jan Leyers
Jan Leyers, 2016
Background information
Birth name	Jan Anna August Leyers
Born	(1958-05-16)16 May 1958
Origin	Wilrijk,Belgium
Genres	Rock,pop
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1978–present
Website	janleyers.be

Jan Anna August Leyers(born 16 May 1958 inWilrijk,Belgium) is a Belgian singer, songwriter, and television personality. He was a member of the groupSoulsisterand later became a solo musician and host of various television series.

Music career

Jan Leyers was born in Wilrijk, inAntwerp.When he was about 10 years old, he found an acoustic guitar in his attic, and his father, an architect, taught him how to play. 10 years later, he started the groupBeri-BeriwithHugo Matthysen,Bart Peeters,andMarc Kruithof.The group tried for some years to become successful, but failed.

After Beri-Beri, Leyers spent a few years singing in theaters. In 1986, he met singerPaul Michielsin a café inHeist-op-den-Berg.Together, they recorded a single, "You Get to Me," which impressedGuy Brulez,an executive forEMIin Belgium. Brulez persuaded them to form a duo, which they named "Soul Sisters'". They recorded "Talk About It" and "Like a Mountain." The group, now under the nameSoulSister,released their debut album,It Takes Two,in 1988. The single "The Way to Your Heart" was a hit in Belgium, theNetherlands,Germany,and even made its way onto the United States charts.

In 1990, SoulSister changes its moniker to Leyers, Michiels, and SoulSister for a while, but then reverted to SoulSister. They released three more studio albums:Heat,Simple Rule,andSwinging Like Big Dogs(which Leyers co-produced withJoey Balin,an EMI executive). In between, Leyers pursued solo songwriting endeavours.

In 1997, SoulSister officially dissolved with the release of theirVery Best Ofcompilation album.Leyers, now on a solo track, teamed up withFilip CauwelierandJoost Van den Broekto form the groupMy Velma.SoulSister had performed melodicpop,but My Velma (which takes its name from Velma, the girlfriend of a mob boss in theRaymond ChandlerbookFarewell, My Lovely) did harder rock. The group started off with two test singles: "Running a Bath" and "Shower of Love." In October 1997, the group recorded the albumExposed.It was released in June 1998 byMercury Recordsof the Netherlands.

In 2000, Leyers had a big hit in Belgium with the single "Only Your Love Will Do," which was featured on the soundtrack for theJan VerheyenfilmTeam Spirit.There was also a hit on the soundtrack by his old SoulSister buddy Paul Michiels, and the following year he worked with Michiels on hisForever Youngcover album. My Velma broke up at around the same time. Throughout these endeavors, Leyers remained a music producer and composer of music for films.

In 2003, Leyers released the albumJan Leyers,which became popular with the hits "Crash and Burn"and" Don't Make Me Miss You. "It featured his hit from 2000," Only Your Love Will Do. "

On 1 January 2005, Leyers released the single "The Long Road," and soon afterwards begins his 2005 tour in Belgium. Later that year, he released the singles "Rolling On" and "Break My Heart." In September, he releasedIn the Virgin Dark,which features these three singles along with "This One" and "The Remedy." "This One" is featured in the Jan Verheyen movieBuitenspel( "Off-side" ).

In the fall of 2006, he releasedSongbook: 1996–2006,a compilation of his work with My Velma and his solo work.

Songwriting

In 1995, Leyers co-wrote, alongsideSally DworskyandPaul Jefferson,the song "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You,"which is performed by AmericancountrysingerAaron Tippin.He does songwriting on a regular basis for the Belgian bandClouseau.One of his top hits with Clouseau is "Dat Ze De Mooiste Is(That She's Most Beautiful) ". He has written two songs (" I've Only Begun To Fight "and" I Want You Back ", both soundtracks of" Team Spirit 2 ") forNatalia's first albumThis Timeand one song ( "Get Back" ) for her second albumBack For More.

Television career

Leyers is the host ofNachtwacht( "Nightwatch" ), a cultural discussion program onCanvas (Belgium).The show features people from across Belgium debating various topics from comedy to religion. Leyers was a co-host ofDe Droom van Ludwig( "The Dream of Ludwig" ), which tracedLudwig van Beethoven's history across Europe. He has served as ajudgeonIdool 2004,Belgium's version ofIdol.In 2007 he made the television seriesDe weg naar Mekka( "The road to Mecca" ), in which he travelled across North Africa and the Middle East. His account also appeared in a book of the same title. Four years later, in 2011, another television series appeared called "De weg naar het Avondland" ( "Road to the Evening Land" ). Leyers travels from Ethiopia to Europe in this series, "following the footsteps of humanity". In 2017, ten years afterDe weg naar Mekkahe made the television series "Allah in Europa" where he travels European cities to find out the future of Islam in Europe. The corresponding book was published in 2018.

Personal life

Leyers is married to Belgian TV actressAnne Meunier.They have four daughters: Dorien, Ella, Billie, and Olga.They reside inHove, Belgium.

Discography

• Jan Leyers(2003)
• In the Virgin Dark(2005)