Tiësto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tiësto
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Tiësto at Airbeat One 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tijs Michiel Verwest |
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| Born | 17 January 1969 Breda, Netherlands |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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Tijs Michiel Verwest (born on January 17, 1969), known professionally as Tiësto, is a famous Dutch DJ and record producer. Many people call him the "Godfather of EDM". In 2010 and 2011, Mix magazine readers voted him "The Greatest DJ of All Time". In 2013, DJ Mag readers also chose him as the "best DJ of the last 20 years".
In 1997, he started his own music label called Black Hole Recordings with Arny Bink. Through this label, he released popular CD series like Magik and In Search of Sunrise. Tiësto began working with producer Dennis Waakop Reijers in 1998, and they have created many songs together since then.
From 1998 to 2000, Tiësto worked with Ferry Corsten as a duo called Gouryella. His 2000 remix of Delerium's song "Silence" became very popular and introduced him to a wider audience. In 2001, he released his first solo album, In My Memory. This album had several big hits that helped his career take off. He was voted the World's No. 1 DJ by DJ Magazine for three years in a row, from 2002 to 2004.
After releasing his second album, Just Be, Tiësto made history. He performed live at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Athens. He was the first DJ ever to play live on stage at an Olympic Games event. In April 2007, Tiësto started his radio show Tiësto's Club Life in the Netherlands. He also released his third album, Elements of Life, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008. Tiësto won a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of John Legend's song "All of Me" in 2015.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Tijs Michiel Verwest was born in Breda, Netherlands, on January 17, 1969. He loved music from a young age, starting at twelve. He listened to radio shows like the Ferry Maat Soulshow. By age fourteen, he began DJing professionally at school parties.
Between 1985 and 1994, Tiësto became a resident DJ at several clubs in the Netherlands. At a small club called Spock in Breda, he played music for hours on weekends. In his early days as a DJ, he mostly played new beat and acid house music.
Career Highlights
Early Music Projects (1994–2000)
In 1994, Tiësto started releasing music under different names like Da Joker. He made hardcore and gabber tracks. Later, he was discovered by Basic Beat Recordings.
Tiësto signed with Basic Beat and met Arny Bink. They created their own record label, Black Hole Recordings, in 1997. Through Black Hole, Tiësto released the Magik series and started two other labels: SongBird and In Trance We Trust.
In 1998, Tiësto teamed up with fellow Dutch DJ Ferry Corsten to form Gouryella. Their first song, "Gouryella," was a big hit worldwide. Their next single, "Walhalla," also did well on the charts. Tiësto also worked with Benno de Goeij as Kamaya Painters. In 1999, he released the first album in his In Search of Sunrise series. He also played a 12-hour set in Amsterdam, which was his longest performance.
In 2000, Tiësto worked with Armin van Buuren on two projects. After releasing "Tenshi" in September 2000, Tiësto decided to focus on his solo music. His album Summerbreeze marked his debut in the U.S. It featured his remix of Delerium's "Silence," which was very successful.
In My Memory (2001–2003)
In 2001, Tiësto launched a new label, Magik Muzik, and released his first solo album, In My Memory. This album included five major hits: "Lethal Industry", "Flight 643", "Obsession", "Dallas 4PM", and "Suburban Train".
Tiësto received several music awards in 2002 and 2003, including a Zilveren ('Silver') Harp music award. He also joined Moby's Area2 Tour, traveling across the United States with artists like Moby and David Bowie.
Tiësto became famous for his "Tiësto Solo" sets, where he performed alone for many hours without other DJs. He was the first DJ to hold a solo concert in a stadium. On May 10, 2003, he played for 25,000 people in Arnhem's GelreDome. This event was later called Tiësto in Concert. He repeated this type of concert in 2004 for even larger crowds. DVDs of these concerts were released, showing the performances with live music and dancers.
Just Be and Olympic Performance (2004–2006)
In 2004, Tiësto released his second album, Just Be. It included his hit single "Traffic," which was the first non-vocal song to reach number one in the Dutch charts in 23 years.
On May 20, 2004, Tiësto was honored by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. He was appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This is a special award for people who have done great things for their country.
The organizers of the 2004 Summer Olympics asked Tiësto to perform at the opening ceremony in Athens. He was the first DJ to play live at an Olympic Games. He played for 90 minutes, using new songs he created especially for the event. These songs combined classical music with modern sounds. A special album of the music he played at the Olympics, called Parade of the Athletes, was released later that year. The Olympic Committee asked that the music not have any words, so it could be understood by everyone.
In 2005, Tiësto brought his Tiësto in Concert show to the US, performing for 16,000 people in Los Angeles. A wax statue of Tiësto was placed at Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam, where visitors can mix his music. In 2006, he performed for over 45,000 people at Sensation White in Amsterdam.
Elements of Life (2007–2008)
On April 6, 2007, Tiësto started a new weekly radio show called Tiësto's Club Life on Dutch radio. Ten days later, he released his third studio album, Elements of Life. The album sold many copies and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Electronic/Dance Album" in 2007. It also earned gold awards in several countries.
For this album, Tiësto worked with different artists. For example, he connected with Christian Burns through Myspace to create the song "In the Dark". The album mixed different styles like rock, trance, and experimental music. Producer Brian Transeau also worked with Tiësto on three tracks. To support the album, Tiësto went on the worldwide Elements of Life World Tour.
In 2007, Tiësto also released In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza, inspired by the famous island. He had a summer residency at Privilege club, playing sets every Monday.
Kaleidoscope and Kiss from the Past (2009–2012)
On October 6, 2009, Tiësto released his fourth album, Kaleidoscope. This album featured many guest artists like Nelly Furtado. Unlike his earlier albums, Kaleidoscope explored different electronic music styles and was more experimental. The first single, "I Will Be Here," was released in July 2009.
Tiësto started a new record label called Musical Freedom for this album. He felt his music was changing, and he wanted a new label to support his evolving sound. He also began a new tour called the Kaleidoscope World Tour.
In 2010, he released a greatest hits album, Magikal Journey: The Hits Collection 1998–2008. Tiësto also contributed songs to the DJ Hero and DJ Hero 2 video games. He even appeared as a playable character in DJ Hero 2.
In April 2011, his mix album Club Life: Volume One Las Vegas was released. In June, he released the album Kiss from the Past under his other name, Allure. In March 2012, Sirius XM launched Tiësto's Club Life Radio, a station featuring music chosen by Tiësto himself.
Club Life and A Town Called Paradise (2013–2018)
Club Life: Volume Three Stockholm was released in June 2013. In 2014, he released A Town Called Paradise. This album had many guest singers and included two gold-certified singles in the U.S.: "Red Lights" and "Wasted". Music from the album also played during a fountain show at the Bellagio (resort) in Las Vegas, which was a first for a dance music artist.
In a 2014 interview, Tiësto explained why he moved away from trance music. He said he wanted to stay connected with younger artists and fans who were making new kinds of house music. He felt that if he only played trance, he might not be as inspiring to them.
In 2015, Tiësto won a Grammy Award for his remix of John Legend's "All of Me." The same year, he released Club Life: Volume Four New York City. In April 2016, he started a deep house music label called AFTR:HRS. He also appeared in a documentary film about American DJ Steve Aoki.
On January 14, 2017, Tiësto received the key to the city of Las Vegas. This day is now known as "Tiësto Day" in Clark County, Nevada. He was also featured in the 2017 documentary What We Started, which starred Carl Cox and Martin Garrix.
In October 2017, the fifth Club Life album, Club Life, Vol. 5 – China, was released. This album included songs by Tiësto and other artists, as well as collaborations with singers like Aloe Blacc and Vassy. In March 2018, Billboard magazine ranked Tiësto as number eight on their list of top dance musicians.
In March 2018, Tiësto released his first EP (a shorter album) called I Like It Loud. It had four songs, all collaborations with other artists.
The London Sessions (2018–2020)
On July 2, 2018, Tiësto released the song "Jackie Chan" with Dzeko, Post Malone, and Preme.
On May 31, 2019, Tiësto released "Ritual" with Rita Ora and Jonas Blue. In June 2019, he released his remix of Avicii's song "Tough Love".
On May 7, 2020, Tiësto announced his seventh studio album, The London Sessions, which was released on May 15, 2020. The album included his previous singles "Jackie Chan," "Ritual," "God Is a Dancer," "Blue," and "Nothing Really Matters."
Drive (2020–Present)
On September 25, 2020, Tiësto released the song "The Business". In January 2021, he released a remix called "The Business, Pt. II" featuring American rapper Ty Dolla Sign.
In 2021, he released several other songs, including "Don't Be Shy" with Karol G and "The Motto" with Ava Max.
On June 30, 2022, Tiësto released "Hot In It" with English singer Charli XCX. This song was teased many times on TikTok. In October 2022, he released "Pump It Louder," a remake of the Black Eyed Peas song "Pump It". In November 2022, he released "10:35" with Tate McRae.
On January 6, 2023, Tiësto released "Lay Low." On March 9, 2023, he announced his new album, Drive, which was released on April 21, 2023.
Tiësto was scheduled to perform at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas in February 2024. He would have been the first DJ to perform throughout the Super Bowl, but he had to cancel due to a family emergency. Kaskade performed instead.
Income
Forbes magazine estimated that Tiësto's yearly income in 2017 was $39 million. He earned about $250,000 for each night he performed.
Helping Others
Tiësto has used his fame to help others. On January 6, 2005, he performed at a free outdoor concert in Amsterdam to raise money for people affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
In April 2006, Tiësto became an official worldwide ambassador for the Dance4Life foundation. This foundation helps raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among teenagers. As an ambassador, he helped with fundraising and recorded the song "Dance4life" with Maxi Jazz. This song was very successful in the Netherlands and other countries.
Tiësto also worked with fashion designer Giorgio Armani to create a special Tiësto T-shirt. The money raised from selling these shirts went to charity. In November 2012, Tiësto released a compilation album called Dance (RED) Save Lives to help fight AIDS.
In 2014, Tiësto performed at the first-ever Thank You Festival, which supported the World Childhood Foundation. He also headlined the free Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park in September 2014.
Personal Life
In September 2019, Tiësto married Annika Backes, a model, in Utah. They had a daughter in November 2020 and a son in August 2022. Tiësto is a big fan of the Italian football club Inter Milan.
Albums
- Studio albums
- In My Memory (2001)
- Just Be (2004)
- Elements of Life (2007)
- Kaleidoscope (2009)
- A Town Called Paradise (2014)
- The London Sessions (2020)
- Drive (2023)
Films
Documentary and concert films
- Clublife 500 (2016) - To celebrate the 500th episode of his radio show Clublife, Tiësto hosted a special event in Amsterdam. This show became available to watch online in October 2023.
Awards
Tiësto has won many awards throughout his career, including Grammy Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards.
