Three-time Dutch Eurovision participant Sandra Reemer died a year ago
Three-time
Dutch Eurovision Song Contest participant Sandra Reemer has died, her
manager announced earlier today. She was 66 years old and had recently
been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Sandra (Barbara Alexandra) Reemer, who was born in Indonesia, represented the Netherlands three times at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1972 she sang Als Het Om De Liefde Gaat, together with Andres, finishing 4th. In 1976 she sang The Party Is Over, finishing 9th. In 1979 she returned as Xandra with Colorado, finishing 12th. The latter was co-written by Ferdi Bolland, who was also Sandra Reemer's husband for some time.
In 1983 she returned to the Eurovision Song Contest, this time as backing singer for Bernadette who sang Sing Me A Song.
"You think or hope it's nothing"
In an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in March 2017, Reemer spoke openly about her cancer diagnosis: "You think or hope it's nothing, that it will go away. My family doctor urged me to go to hospital, but I always had some sort of excuse why not to go (...). Eventually I was diagnosed with breast cancer."
Treatment was unfortunately not successful.
The assistant
Beyond her singing career, Reemer was television presenter and became known as 'the assistant' in the enormously popular programme Wedden Dat..? in which guests aimed at successfully completing a bet on live television. Reemer took on the role as assistant of the show's host.
Sandra Reemer was a popular guest at Eurovision fan events across Europe. In 2014 she co-hosted Eurovision in Concert. Just last year she gave an elaborate interview to Alexander Borodin of fan club OGAE Sweden last year, when she took part in a fan gathering in Berlin, Germany.
Dutch Divas
From 2000 until 2005, Reemer worked together with other former Eurovision participants Marga Bult (1987) and Sjoukje Smit (1980, as Maggie MacNeal) as The Dutch Divas.
Until just a few years ago, Reemer lead her own foundation, supporting child education in developing countries. She had no children of her own.
