Ria Thielsch in Weekend: "I thought I was going to die"

The latest issue of Weekend magazine features an article about the former Luv' singer Ria Thielsch.

One day, as she was riding her bicycle, she didn't feel well and thought she was going to die. She consulted a doctor who diagnosed cardiac problems and advised her to live a fit life. "I am not allowed to smoke. Drinking alcohol is not recommended. I have to eat less meat. Now I live a healthy life and I walk a lot. I asked the doctor what would happen if I didn't follow his orders. He told me I could have a heart attack," Ria says. Her father died due to heart problems. That's why she takes these medical recommendations seriously.

After José Hoebee's ill health that caused Luv's break-up last year and the recent revelation about Chimène van Oosterhout's breast cancer, Ria is the third ex-member of Holland's greatest girl group who is not in good shape. 

Moreover, she is not ready for a comeback on stage. "I think my Luv' years are over. It was a good time but it's the past. I phoned José last year but I am not in touch with Marga. If they asked me for a comeback show, I would not accept it. It's a good thing that José interrupted her career because her health is her priority," Ria explains. 

Click on the image to enlarge it:

Source: Weekend, Facebook (Official Luv', Ria Thielsch Fan Zone: Forever Yours) 

The ex-Luv' ladies this week in the Dutch tabloid press

Though Luv' officially stopped their activities early this year due to José Hoebee's mysterious illness (see news posted on February 7th, 2020), the ex-members of the group appear this week in the Dutch tabloid press. 

* Marga Scheide in Story: her life in Luv' songs

The latest issue of Story magazine features an article about Marga who took part in all the line-ups of Luv'. The blonde singer discusses her life (including love, sorrow and the end of Luv') in songs. Click here to read an online excerpt from Story. 

Ooh, Yes I Do: 

"We reached our peak with this song not only in Europe but also in Mexico. In Mexico, we did a TV special and our record executive Bart van der Laar (who was later murdered) made sure we flew by Concorde to go there...There was a lot of luxury going on, we were young and we didn't realize how special it was...I never said "I Do". I never wanted to marry...although some men proposed marriage to me: Jacques (who died in 2003), my current partner Michiel and another friend (I don't want to mention his name). But I always answered "No". Even John de Mol (with whom I lived for a while) talked about marriage but it didn't happen," Marga says.

You're the Greatest Lover:

I met a man in his late 20s and I was in love. But it was not easy with him at first. One day he asked me if I wanted to attend a Formula 1 race with him in Zandvoort. I was happy to follow him but I didn't know if he appreciated me. Then we saw a little plane flying above the circuit with an advertisement that said: "Congratulations Luv'. Greatest Lover Number One". Of course, I was impressed and he also liked it. It was our first date and it was a memorable moment. We had a two-year relationship," Marga explains.

U.O.Me:

"At first, we didn't have a number-one hit but we had more and more success. I remember one day I was cleaning my house and suddenly I heard this song on the radio and I thought: "hey, I know this track". It was a strange impression to listen to yourself on the radio. I am not a person who is usually ashamed. However, I have one regret. At the time we went to the Eastern block and a make-up artist was in charge of us. He was an older man with a limited number of cosmetic products. I brought my makeup bag with my own products. I wanted to give him my stuff but I didn't dare to do it. I was afraid he would have been embarrassed. To this day I regret that I didn't give him my makeup bag," Marga tells.

Welcome To My Party:

"I really liked this song because it was produced by my friend Jacques. It was very special to me. From then on we travelled a lot. My life has been a big party. I always try to have fun...I lost my friend and there had been more sad moments. But I always try to go on. I don't want to dig myself into a hole. It's not always easy but there are people who have more problems than me," Marga asserts. 

My Man:

"He's my current partner, Michiel Gunning. He means the world to me. After Jacques' death, I thought there would be no other man. It took a moment to be with Michiel. I wanted to be sure to have a relationship with him. Michiel separated three years before our first meeting. I didn't want to hurt him. I took my time and he finally gave time to be with him," Marga says.

Trojan Horse:

"I remember there was a party in the garden of our then manager and photos were taken. It was funny because my parents, my sister and brother were in this picture. But Michiel was also there. I didn't know him at the time. I didn't talk to him but he saw me. He remembered this photo and this party when we started our relationship," Marga adds. 

Billy The Kid:

"I always like to sing this song. It's such a nice track. As a kid, I was very kind. I was not a wild teenager. I didn't have big expectations. I never planned anything. I never wanted to have children. My love for freedom is so big and when you have children you have to give up certain things," Marga tells.

My Last Song:

"I haven't sung my last song yet. At the moment Luv' doesn't exist anymore. Last year in August we gave our last show due to José Hoebee's health problems. It was so sudden that we didn't officially say our farewells to our public. Will Luv' be performing with José again? I have no idea. Her health has not improved. I'm daily in touch with her. I hope that one day she'll tell me: 'It's over. I'm healthy again". Then we'll see what we'll do. I want to keep singing. That's what I am going to do. I'll go on tour through Belgium with Flemish entertainer PIV. I really want to do it," Marga asserts.

Editorial by Story's editor-in-chief Guido den Aantrekker

* Ria Thielsch in Weekend: her opinion on Chimène van Oosterhout

The latest issue of Weekend magazine features an article with Ria Thielsch. Currently, she is so happy. Recently, she has become a grandmother again. "On May 12th, my sixth grandchild was born. She's my fifth granddaughter and I have a grandson. I haven't been able to see her because of the current situation so we use FaceTime instead. My son lives in North Brabant where the COVID-19 pandemic is severe. It's a difficult time now. Sometimes I see people but they always come to me. I'm not going to travel," Ria says. Here's what the former Luv' singer tells about her other grandchildren: "My daughter Peggy has three children: a 20-year-old son and two daughters who are respectively 19 and 9. My daughter lives in the neighbourhood but I don't see her at the moment. We often call and we write emails instead. My son's children (only daughters) are 4 and 2 years old plus a newborn baby".

When asked if she considers things differently due to the current situation, she answers: "Before I joined Luv' again, I was constantly busy with fashion. But now I say to myself: "I don't do it anymore. I'm not busy with the turmoil around me because I'm not interested in that".

"Fans keep on sending me messages about Luv'. That's how I found out that a third of the fans didn't follow the group after my departure. I also know the problems between Chimène van Oosterhout and Marga Scheide who goes solo. I read on the Luv' fansite that Chimène tried to justify herself after what she had said in interviews. This girl who is in her fifties knows exactly what she told," Ria explains.

Last month, Chimène gave an interview in Weekend to tell that she was surprised that Marga didn't inform her about a tour in Belgium. Instead, José and she only received an email as an explanation (see news posted on May 17th, 2020).

Last year, Ria told Weekend that she felt bitter about her departure from Luv' and that she understood Patty Brard (see news posted on December 6th, 2019). 

Here's what Ria says about Chimène now: "It's strange. Chimène only stayed 4 months in the group and she did as if she worked a lot for it. I don't understand it. I know her from the fashion world. I've heard from friends who know her better that she is the kind of person who likes to be in the spotlight. I'm not like her. I don't need this drama. I don't need these lies about the group anymore".

Here's Ria's opinion on Marga and José: "They often criticize Patty but she achieved more things than them. I don't want to discuss Marga's solo plans. Luv' is a finished chapter in my life. I don't want to talk about Luv's problems".

Click on the images to enlarge them:

* José Hoebee in Party: Will she bury the hatchet with her terminally ill sister?

In the latest issue of Party magazine, Marijke van de Wijdeven criticizes her famous sister, José Hoebee. The problems with the Van de Wijdeven sisters started years ago due to inheritance issues after the death of José's parents. The siblings split into two camps: José & Ingrid Vs Marijke & Yvonne. Marijke tells Party that she is terminally ill and Yvonne is also sick. José has reacted to Marijke's comments: "Marijke can get in touch with me directly. She doesn't need the media to do it".

* José Hoebee, Luv', Chimène van Oosterhout and Patty Brard in Behind The Stars (online magazine):

Click on the images to enlarge them:

Source: Story, Weekend, Party, Behind the Stars

Ria Thielsch: Life after Luv'

The announcement of Chimène van Oosterhout's recruitment as a Luv' singer was breaking news in the Netherlands earlier this year (see news posted on January 4th, 2019). Chimène replaced Ria Thielsch who took part twice in Luv': at first between August 1980 and March 1981 and then between March 2016 and December 2018.

Ria seemed happy with the group's line-up change. "The motivation was gone. In 2016, I accepted to sing with the ladies and I wanted to have fun with them for a couple of years. And we succeeded but then I noticed later that before performances I just couldn’t take the stress. The change in the management didn't improve the situation. So I preferred to quit in a friendly way. I'm 67 years old and I don't have debts. So I don't need Luv' to make a living. We laughed a lot and we enjoyed good moments. That's how I want to think back to it. It was the right time to stop. I wish Chimène as much pleasure as I had," Ria told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Ria's Luv' years (2016 - 2018)
Montage by Co Rnz

Officially, Ria had a pleasant lunch with Marga Scheide and José Hoebee on December 30th, 2018 to discuss her departure from Luv'. A nice picture of the trio was even posted on Facebook to prove it. It seemed that Ria left Luv' without anger.

Ria's final lunch with José and Marga on December 30th, 2018

The fans thanked her for being part of the pop trio and posted many grateful messages on social media. Everybody seemed satisfied in Luv' land....until Ria told another kind of story. She gave two interviews in the Dutch tabloid press. Her negative comments felt like a betrayal for her ex-colleagues. 

Ria in Weekend

"Marga and José told lies to the media. Because it didn't happen this way. They wanted to appear nice to the public. According to them, I was the one who left the group and it was my fault. Everybody called me. Some fans asked me: "Why did you leave? Have you let us down?". No! I didn't have any other choice," Ria told Weekend magazine in its January 16th, 2019 issue. 

She described Marga as a control freak and didn't appreciate her bossy attitude: 

"When we made our comeback in 2016, everything was fine. We did it for our fans and to have fun. We are three adult women. The more we performed the greedier Marga was. She wanted to control everything including outfits that I bought. She trademarked Luv's name. I had to follow her instructions. She imposed a lot of rules. For example, it was decided that "Marga was the one in contact with the press" or "Marga was the one who supervised Luv's wardrobe" or "Marga is the face of Luv". Well, to me it was OK. I only did it for the fans and for fun. Moreover, Marga only provided a few information about the accountancy when I asked her about it". 

Here's her version of the last meeting with Luv':  

"On December 8th, 2018, it was my last show with Luv'. We were supposed to have a meeting later that month. I was asked to come to Den Bosch for a business talk with the ladies. I didn't want it because it was a hectic month due to Christmas preparations and by the way, I didn't feel well. I suffer from an autoimmune disease and every month I need injections for that. So I told Marga: "I can't come so let's do it in January". She replied: "if you don't come we'll be obliged to stop our relationship!"

The ex-Luv' singer also criticized José:  "If Marga orders her to jump off the bridge, José will jump off the bridge. When the sun shines, José is always present because she needs money. But I'm not like her!"

Ria explained that Luv' didn't make her rich: "It cost me a lot of money. We had some issues with our former manager. So we had to pay a lot of legal fees". 

The icing on the cake during her talk with Weekend was when she said that "understood Patty Brard"!!!

One week later, Ria gave another tell-all interview in Story magazine to confirm her negative comments. 

Now she is very discreet and has retired from show business. She enjoys life with her family and friends (including gossip columnist Jan Uriot and his partner of Leon Vosters (of "Musicals" magazine). Sometimes she posts pictures with her entourage on Facebook:

Ria & friends at Marit van Eisden's birthday party on January 20th, 2019

Ria, Sonja Tans and her grandchildren on February 19th, 2019

Ria and her ex-colleagues from the fashion industry on March 23d, 2019

Ria, Jan Uriot and Leon Vosters on April 20th, 2019

Ria, Luv's funny impersonators and Leon Vosters (who had his birthday party on May 19th, 2019)

Ria with Louise Schmidt and Dutch singer Astrid Nijgh at Leon Vosters' birthday party on May 19th, 2019

Ria with Leon Vosters and Esther Oosterbeek (of Dolly Dots) at the wedding party of Claudia and Frank Zwiers on June 21st, 2019

Ria & friends (including Leon Vosters and Jan Uriot) on November 10th, 2019

Source: Weekend, Story, Luv' blog archives, Facebook (Ria Thielsch)...

Breaking News: Chimène van Oosterhout becomes a member of Luv'!!!

Luv' anno 2019: Chimène, José and Marga - Photo by Govert de Roos

Today's edition of Dutch most popular newspaper "De Telegraaf" features great news in its "Privé" section. A very nice photograph by Govert de Roos illustrates the article.

Marga Scheide and José Hoebee are proud to introduce their new Luv' colleague: Dutch media personality Chimène van Oosterhout who replaces Ria Thielsch.

A new chapter in Luv's career starts today with the recruitment of this new and glamorous member of Holland's greatest girl group!!!

Three years ago, Luv' made their comeback (see news posted on March 16th, 2016). The line-up consisted of Marga, José and Ria (who already took the place of Patty Brard in 1980). The pop trio toured the nostalgia circuit in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) until late 2018. The ladies even celebrated the 40th-anniversary of Luv' in the summer of 2017 (see news posted on July 9th, 2017). 

"Luv' is about music. There are still bookings for live shows and something great is about to happen. I can't wait to announce it but first, we have to sign contracts. Ria won't be part of it. In late 2018, we had lunch with her and we discussed in harmony. She decided to leave the group. Suddenly I thought about Chimène. I knew her from Ibiza. 15 years ago, after my partner Jacques Zwart died, she supported me and made me laugh again. We even sang Luv' songs on the beach. She knew all our tracks. She is a good singer! She took singing lessons for years and she knows how to perform on stage," Marga tells De Telegraaf.

"I was surprised when Marga called me. It's amazing when you're asked to be part of Luv'. It didn't take me long to accept this offer. When I was a kid, we used to impersonate Luv' with classmates. I bought all the Luv' singles with my pocket money. We sang the songs with our hairdryers in front of the mirror. I pretended I was Patty. Now we have to rehearse the dance routines. I have to learn the lyrics but it's going to be all right before I take the plunge. The hand movements on Waldolala and Trojan Horse are good, I master them! It's unbelievable what happens to me: I'm going to do something I dreamt of as a little girl," Chimène explains.

The new Luv' lady also appreciates José. "Both of us are from North Brabant and we clicked immediately. I think Marga and José are two nice girls. I'm looking forward to working with them. It's crazy to think that it all started with a couple of songs on the beach. Marga was not the only one to be sad at the time. I had just become a single mother. I start the new year joyfully," Chimène adds.

In 2004, she appeared on Patty Brard's reality show "Patty's Fort" with Marga. Six years ago, she won the final of SBS 6 ski jumping competition "Vliegende Hollanders: Sterren van de Schans" (including La Brard in the jury - see news posted on March 10th, 2013).

Chimène: winner of Vliegende Hollanders (2013)

As for Ria, it's the end of her adventures with Luv'. "The motivation was gone. In 2016, I accepted to sing with the ladies and I wanted to have fun with them for a couple of years. And we succeeded but then I noticed later that before performances I just couldn’t take the stress. The change in the management didn't improve the situation. So I preferred to quit in a friendly way. I'm 67 years old and I don't have debts. So I don't need Luv' to make a living. We laughed a lot and we enjoyed good moments. That's how I want to think back to it. It was the right time to stop. I wish Chimène as much pleasure as I had," Ria says.

Ria Thielsch

Click here to read the article posted on Telegraaf.nl

Moreover, other Dutch news websites have covered this great news:

• AD.nl: click here to read it.
• RTL Boulevard: click here to read it.
• Nu.nl: click here to read it. 
• Lindanieuws.nl: click here to read it.

Former Luv' singer Patty Brard reacted to this special announcement. "This is really nice for them. They didn't discuss Chimène's recruitment with me and they didn't have to do it," the diva told RTL Boulevard. Her Luv' years feel like a distant memory. "It was a long time ago and now it's over," she added. However, she wished her ex-colleagues all the best: "I wish them lots of shows and lots of fun!".

Source: Privé/Telegraaf, Official Luv', AD, RTL Boulevard, NU.nl, Lindanieuws...  

Ria Thielsch: keep it in the family!

The latest issue of the celebrity gossip magazine "Privé" features a short article about Luv' lady Ria Thielsch and her niece Maxime Barlag (lead singer of Dutch band "Mister and Mississippi"). Ria is happy that the family musical tradition is maintained. 

"My niece Maxime Barlag is the singer of pop-folk band Mister and Mississippi. They performed a couple of times on DWDD (a popular talk show on VARA/NPO 1) and on May 11th they will present their third album "Mirage" at the Amsterdam club OT301," Ria told Privé.

Source: Privé, Facebook

Ria Thielsch in Privé

Last week, Luv' singer Ria Thielsch and other Dutch celebrities attended the premiere of the Dutch production of Broadway musical "A Chorus Line" at the Zaantheater in Zaandam, NL (see news posted on November 23rd, 2016). 

The latest issue of Privé magazine features pictures of this event. One of them represents Ria posing with Jon van Eerd and Leon Vosters (of Musical magazine):

Source: Privé, Facebook (Leon Vosters)