Today's edition of De Telegraaf (Holland's most-read newspaper) features Hans van Hemert in its Privé section (entertainment news and celebrity gossips). Click here to read an excerpt online.
The 76-year-old legendary record producer and songwriter (responsible for classic pop hits by Luv', Mouth & MacNeal and Sandra & Andres) has been fighting against prostate cancer for fifteen years. The Music Maestro likes to socialize and enjoys life with family and friends. The side effects of the medication to keep his disease under control cause him mood swings.
"I suffer from mood swings. There's nothing I can do about it. There are moments when I feel very sad and lonely. These are the side effects of the drugs I take to keep prostate cancer under control. Sometimes I take hormones to make sure that cancer doesn't grow and cannot cause metastases," Hans van Hemert says in his recording studio in Laren, the Netherlands.
When Luv's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer fifteen years ago, he acted just in time. “I was given medications to keep the disease stable. I tolerated them well. Five years ago, the illness resurfaced. I was then irradiated. When it turned out that there were metastases, I was given hormone tablets to prevent further spread of the disease. Those hormones have thrown me off balance. I find it increasingly difficult to deal with its side effects,” Van Hemert tells.
But there is no other solution. “Cancer is a hopeless disease. I have to deal with it. I feel fine for days, sometimes weeks and then suddenly it goes wrong. Sometimes I think the cure is worse than the disease. It makes you thicker, your hair becomes thinner, your potency decreases and you are regularly plagued by depressive moods,” he adds.
Moreover, the recipient of a Buma Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 explains that after eleven years, the relationship with his partner Willy Betist (with whom he appeared on SBS6's reality program "Steenrijk, Straatarm" in 2018) has come to an end. "We recently decided to break up. It was her choice. Our relationship has always been under pressure. Sometimes we had a great time, but there were also periods of irritation and quarrels. And if you ask me why there were tensions, I can't tell why. We weren't always on the same wavelength," the Phoenix of Dutch pop music says.
Prior to the article in De Telegraaf, Privé magazine already published an item about Hans van Hemert's current difficulties.
Source: De Telegraaf/Privé, Hans van Hemert's Facebook page