Toni Willé
- Soundtrack
Dutch country singer Toni Wille was born as Antonia Johanna Cornelia
Kowalczyk in Treebeek, the Netherlands on June 26, 1953. A striking
blonde beauty with a strong, sultry voice and a distinctive gap in her
upper front teeth, Wille was the stepdaughter of a Polish miner and
grew up in the town of Limburg. She began her music career along with
her older siblings Betty Dragstra and Marianne Veldpaus as The Singing
Sisters in 1963. They then became The BG's from Holland and changed
their name a third time to Sweet Reaction in 1973. Sweet Reaction
released the unsuccessful single "Tell Alain" in 1973. In 1975 the
three Kowalczyk sisters became the singers for the Dutch country band
Pussycat; Toni was the lead singer while her sisters provided backing
vocals. Pussycat scored a massive international hit with the beautiful
song "Mississippi" in 1976. Pussycat enjoyed a steady succession of hit
songs throughout the 70s and recorded a bunch of albums before breaking
up in 1984. Toni went on to a very successful solo career. Wille
released the album "Privilege" in 1985. She followed this album with
"Working Girl" in 1987 and "New Words to an Old Love Song" in 1989. The
Dutch magazine "Country Gazette" cited Wille as the best female country
singer of the year in 1989. Toni was subsequently given this same
accolade in both 1990 and 1991 as well. She sang the theme song to the
Dutch thriller "De Flat" in 1994. In 1999 Wille sang the duet "Oh, How
I Miss You" with Dutch singer Benny Neyman and recorded the album
"American Duets" with Neyman in 2000. In 2004 she sang the duet "Heart
Half Empty" with singer Danny Vera. Wille often performs in concerts in
Germany, where she has proved to be an especially popular singer. More
recently Toni Wille reunited with her sisters Betty and Marianne for
the band Major Dundee's album "Young Gods" in 2005 and Dutch singer
Dennis Jones' reggae cover of "Mississippi" in 2007.