Glemmer Beach must look for a replacement for the deceased Def Rhymz: ‘His death has caused a stir’

The news first reached Gerrit Kooystra on Monday morning: via an app from an acquaintance, he was told that Def Rhymz, the stage name of Dennis Bouman, had died. Kooystra is the programmer of Glemmer Beach and had roped in the rapper for the festival in Lemmer. The contract for this had already been signed in December 2023.

“I knew that he had heart problems, but not that it was that serious,” says Kooystra. “It is really sad that he passed away at such a young age. I have sent condolences to his management.”

Def Rhymz said at the end of last year that he was waiting for a donor heart and had already undergone several heart operations. This was necessary because his left heart valve was not functioning properly. The news that Rhymz had died of heart failure at the age of only 53 still came as a major shock to the music world. “His death made a big impact,” says Kooystra. “Everyone in the festival world is talking about it, because Def Rhymz has traveled all over town and country for performances. So a lot of people knew him.”

Prominent spot

This also applies to Kooystra, who fills in the line-up as a programmer for several festivals. He had scheduled Def Rhymz for the Friday evening of Glemmer Beach. This year the festival will take place on August 30 and 31 on the beach of Lemmer. “We had a prominent place on stage in mind for him. With Def Rhymz you were sure it would be a big party. He was also a very nice person.”

With the death of Rhymz, a gap has arisen in the programming. Kooystra does not yet know how this will be resolved. “It feels very harsh so soon after his death, but we have to look for another artist. We take the time for that. The booking agency has several artists under contract, so that can probably be resolved.”

According to Kooystra, ticket sales are going well beyond expectations. “We think we will sell out before the start of the festival. We’ve never had that before.”