Pussycat

Biography

Pussycat was a Dutch country and pop group led by the three Veldpaus sisters: Toni (born 1953), Betty (1952–2024), and Marianne (born 1951). Other members of the band were guitarists Lou Willé (Toni's then-husband), Theo Wetzels, Theo Coumans, and John Theunissen. Their song "Mississippi×MississippiApril 1975 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAMississippi4:38BDo It2:13" was a number one hit in most European countries, including the UK, in 1975/6.

Career

Prior to forming the band, the three sisters were telephone operators in Limburg, whilst Theunissen, Wetzels, and Coumans were in a group called Scum. Lou Willé played in a group called Ricky Rendall and His Centurions until he married Toni, and created the group Sweet Reaction that eventually became known as Pussycat.
In 1975 they scored a big European hit with the song "Mississippi×MississippiApril 1975 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAMississippi4:38BDo It2:13". However they had to wait a further year for the single to make the British charts when it climbed to number one in the UK Singles Chart in October 1976. Penned by Werner Theunissen, who had been the sisters' guitar teacher, it is estimated that "Mississippi" sold over five million copies worldwide. It was followed by "Smile×Smile1976 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASmile3:45BWhat Did They Do to the People3:03" in 1976, and "Hey Joe" in 1978. Other hits were "If You Ever Come to Amsterdam×If You Ever Come to Amsterdam1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAIf You Ever Come to Amsterdam4:45BYou Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby2:49", "Georgie", "Wet Day in September×Wet Day in September1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Wet Day in September3:35A2Hey Joe3:46A3It’s the Same Old Song3:31A4Love in September2:52A5She Needs a Man3:37A6I Must Get You4:28B1Another Day4:14B2If You Ever Come to Amsterdam4:48B3Here Comes That Song Again3:16B4The Story of W.Dummy3:26B5Look Away2:48B6Goodbye to Lovin’3:13" and "My Broken Souvenirs". Their career in Europe spanned more than a decade and included some seventeen albums. By 1978 Hans Lutjens had replaced Coumans on drums, as the band continued to release albums and tour, travelling as far afield as South Africa. They made regular appearances on the West German TV series, Musikladen, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In the following years, the sisters did perform again, however, this time under the name Anycat. In 1999 they decided to make a comeback under their old name Pussycat. It was the same year in which Doe Maar also got back together for a short time, unrelated. Initially, the only intention was to perform, although for a while there were thoughts of releasing new material to be written by Werner Theunissen. However, new records were not released. They still performed as Pussycat through 2001.
In 2001, 25 years after the success with "Mississippi", the compilation album 25 Years After Mississippi was released and reached the charts. It was listed in the Album Top 100 for seven weeks. This year saw several more reunion performances. In 2004, they released the box set, The Complete Collection, which consisted of three CDs and a DVD.
In 2005, they recorded the single "Somewhere Someone" with the Dutch country band Major Dundee, which was also included on Major Dundee's album, Young Gods. In 2007, they gave their background vocals to the Dutch language reggae cover of "Mississippi" by Dennis Jones. In June 2023, there was an album released with previous unreleased song demos of the band from the year 1983, with the title Unreleased Demos 1983.
On 28 June 2024, Betty Veldpaus died at the age of 72.

Members

Toni Veldpaus (married Willé) – lead vocals (1975–1985)
Betty Veldpaus (married Dragstra) – singer (1975–1985; died 2024)
Marianne Veldpaus (married Hensen) – singer (1975–1985)
Lou "Loulou" Willé (Toni's then husband) – guitar (1975–1985)
John Theunissen – guitar (1975–1980)
Ferd Berger – guitar (1981–1982)
Kees Buenen – keyboards (1981–1982)
Theo Wetzels – bass guitar (1975–1980)
Theo Coumans – drums (1975–1978)
Hans Lutjens – drums (1978–1980)
Frans Meijer – drums (1981–1982)