Ilse DeLange facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ilse DeLange
Ilse DeLange during her tour in Germany 2023
Background information
Birth name	Ilse Annoeska de Lange
Born	(1977-05-13) 13 May 1977 (age 48) Almelo, The Netherlands
Genres	Country, pop, pop rock, Dutch pop, Americana
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Warner, Universal, Spark

Ilse Annoeska de Lange (born May 13, 1977), known professionally as Ilse DeLange, is a famous Dutch singer and songwriter. She sings country and pop rock. She became famous in 1998 with her hit song "I'm Not So Tough." Her album sold so many copies it went multi-platinum in The Netherlands. Some of her other big hits include "Miracle", "So Incredible", and "The Great Escape".

She was the lead singer of the band The Common Linnets. They came in second place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. In 2019, Ilse helped another Dutch singer, Duncan Laurence, prepare for Eurovision. She was his mentor, and he won the contest with his song "Arcade".

Ilse has won many awards for her music. One of her biggest international awards is the Jeff Walker Global Country Music Award. She has also won many Dutch music awards called Edison Awards.

Early Life and Career

Ilse Annoeska de Lange was born in Almelo, a city in the Netherlands. She started her career when she was only 8 years old as a lip-sync artist, winning several contests. Later, she began singing with her own voice in talent shows. This got her noticed, and she started performing on national TV.

She formed a duo with guitarist Joop van Liefland, who introduced her to country music. In 1994, she won a talent show in the city of Oss. That same year, she performed at the Dutch Country Music Awards. She also won another contest in Eindhoven by singing songs by Holly Dunn and Trisha Yearwood. This gave her the chance to record a demo.

Breakthrough with 'World of Hurt'

In 1998, Ilse traveled to Nashville, USA, the capital of country music, to record her first album. The album was called World of Hurt. Her first single, I'm Not So Tough, became a hit in the Netherlands.

The album was a huge success, selling over 500,000 copies (5x Platinum). For this album, Ilse won a TMF Award and an Edison Award in 1999.

Dear John Album

A year later, Ilse released a live album called Dear John. It was an album of cover songs by the artist John Hiatt. She recorded it after a very successful performance for a special concert series. The album was also very popular and sold over 80,000 copies (platinum).

Ilse DeLange during a radio performance in 2022.

Music Career from 2000 to 2007

Livin' on Love

In 2000, Ilse released her second album, Livin' on Love. This album had more of a pop and rock sound than her first one. It was still very successful, reaching number 5 on the charts and selling over 80,000 copies.

Ilse's record label wanted this album to make her famous in the United States, but for various reasons, it was never released there. The busy schedule and business problems made Ilse very tired. During one concert, she had problems with her voice and had to stop performing. Her doctor told her to rest for a few weeks.

Clean Up and New Beginnings

Ilse DeLange at the Parkpop festival in 2006.

In 2002, Ilse and her partner, Bart Vergoossen (who is the drummer in her band), went to America for nine months. There, she worked on her third album, Clean Up, which was released in 2003. She wrote many of the songs herself. The album went straight to number 1 on the Dutch charts.

In 2004, Ilse's record company closed its Dutch office, and she lost her contract. A few months later, she worked with the Italian singer Zucchero on the song Blue, which was a moderate hit. Even without a record deal, she went on tour in 2005, and all her concerts were sold out. Soon after, she signed a new contract with Universal Music.

The Great Escape

Her first album with her new label was The Great Escape, released in 2006. It was a huge success, selling over 160,000 copies (2x Platinum). The singles The Great Escape and The Lonely One were also big hits. In 2007, she released a live album from her tour.

Success and New Projects

Incredible and 'Miracle'

In 2008, Ilse released the album Incredible. It became her most successful album, selling over 400,000 copies (5x Platinum). The single So Incredible was a top 10 hit.

Her next single, Miracle, became her biggest hit ever. It reached number 1 on the Dutch charts. The song was written for the Dutch movie Bride Flight.

Next to Me EP

In 2010, Ilse released a shorter album, called an EP, titled Next to Me. She said she wanted to release new music more often but didn't have time to record a full album. The EP was very successful and sold over 100,000 copies.

Ilse DeLange at the Zwarte Cross Festival in 2011.

A Difficult Time

In 2011, while working on a new album, Ilse learned that her father was very sick. She stopped all her work to be with her family. A day after her father passed away in January 2012, she posted a touching acoustic version of her song Without You online. She later decided not to release the album she had been working on because it no longer felt right.

Eye of the Hurricane

In 2012, Ilse released a new album called Eye of the Hurricane. It became another platinum-selling album. To celebrate, she held a special concert in the large 'GelreDome' stadium.

Ilse DeLange performing in 2017.

International Fame and Television

The Voice of Holland

In 2013, Ilse became a coach on the popular TV show The Voice of Holland. She helped new singers develop their talent. She returned as a coach for the fifth season in 2014. She also coached on The Voice Kids and The Voice Senior, where her team members won.

The Common Linnets and Eurovision

In 2014, Ilse formed the duo The Common Linnets with singer Waylon. They represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Their song, Calm After The Storm, was a huge hit across Europe. They finished in an amazing second place.

The song became a top 10 hit in 14 countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany. Their album sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. The band toured all over Europe and even performed in the United States.

Ilse DeLange during her 2021 club tour in The Hague.

Tuckerville Festival

Because of her success, Ilse was able to start her own country music festival in the Netherlands called Tuckerville. The first festival in 2014 was a big success, with almost 30,000 visitors. The festival is now held almost every year and features famous artists from around the world, like Carrie Underwood.

Acting in 'Nashville'

In 2018, Ilse had a role in the American musical TV series Nashville. She played a character named 'Ilse DeWitt', a coach on a singing show, which was similar to her real-life job on The Voice. She appeared in six episodes and even performed one of her own songs on the show.

Recent Career

Mentoring a Eurovision Winner

In 2019, Ilse was a mentor for Duncan Laurence, the Dutch singer for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. She had coached him on The Voice of Holland. With Ilse's help, Duncan won the contest with his song "Arcade". The song later became a worldwide hit.

Breakthrough in Germany

In 2020, Ilse released the pop album Changes. The title song became a hit in Germany. She also appeared on the German TV show Sing Meinen Song - Das Tauschkonzert, where artists sing each other's songs. This made her even more popular in Germany, and her album reached the German charts.

In 2021, she competed in the German version of Dancing with the Stars, called Let's Dance. She had to leave the competition early due to a foot injury.

Discography

• World of Hurt (1998)
• Dear John, (1999)
• Livin' on Love (2000)
• Clean Up (2003)
• The Great Escape (2006)
• Incredible (2008)
• Next to Me (2010)
• Eye of the Hurricane (2012)
• The Common Linnets (2014) (as part of the Common Linnets)
• II (2015) (as part of the Common Linnets)
• Ilse DeLange (2018)
• Gravel & Dust (2019)
• Changes (2020)
• Tainted (2024)

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Ilse DeLange para niños