Bert Hermelink/Toontje Lager/Plan D

Artist: Bert Hermelink | SecondHandSongs Hermelink was born in Oldenzaal and grew up in a Catholic family of five children. At the age of seven, he received his first piano lessons. At the age of ten, he made his debut on the church organ of the Holy Trinity Church. He attended the HBS(-B) at the Carmellyceum in Oldenzaal and then followed the 1st year of the mechanical engineering course at the HTS in Enschede. He then went to the Agricultural University in Wageningen, where he studied landscape architecture and planning, completing his studies in 1980.

Hermelink founded the pop group Toontje Lager in 1978 together with Bert Vermaas, Huub van Melick, Joost Witte and Jan Verver. This happened after he and Bert Vermaas had performed once with the occasional band Maandverband. Witte and van Melick came up with the idea of taking this more seriously. Hermelink was the band’s keyboardist and initially wrote the songs together with Bert Vermaas. In 1980 singer Bert Vermaas and guitarist Jan Verver were replaced by Erik Mesie and Gerard de Braconier respectively.

Hermelink’s most famous songs are “Stiekem gedanst”, “So much to do”, “Just like in the film”, “Are you also so afraid” and “Sooner or later”. Two years later, in 1985, the group disbanded, after which he started performing as a comedian. In 1998 he signed up for the Leiden Cabaret Festival, where he subsequently reached the finals. It performed throughout the country until 2007. In 2005 he produced Martin Groenewold’s debut album Things to Do. He also wrote many songs for him. In March 2008 the CD Zoiets moet het zijn followed, followed in 2011 by Pantoffelheld op oorlogspad and Luxeproblemen in 2016. In between, he released the album Grijs in 2015 together with singer Chris Helsloot.
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