Robert Jan Stips

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Jan Stips is a Dutch musician born in The Hague the 4 February 1950.

He initially found fame as a keyboard player, arranger and producer with the group Supersister. This led to an invitation to join Golden Earring, one of the most successful Dutch groups of the time. Stips took part in the group's successful American tour in 1976, but left afterwards to form Stars & Stips which released Nevergreens in 1976 and the group Sweet d'Buster with saxophonist Bertus Borgers.

In 1979, Stips left Sweet d'Buster and formed Transister, which released one album : Zig Zag. In 1981, Robert Jan Stips released his first solo LP (U.P.). The same year, Stips became the keyboard player for The Nits, with whom he had previously worked as a producer. During his years with The Nits he also produced albums for Cloud Nine and Vitesse. He was the main composer of The Nits' orchestral work, Hjuvi - A Rhapsody in Time.

Robert Jan Stips left Nits in 1996 at the end of their Greatest Hits tour, and launched the group STIPS, with which he brought out an album : Egotrip. STIPS released two albums in collaboration with Freek de Jonge : Gemeen Goed in 1997 then Rapsodia in 1998. In 1999, Robert Jan Stips released two solo albums : Greyhound and Rembrandt 2000 (at the occasion of a great exhibition Rembrandt in The Hague). In 2003, he rejoined Nits for their thirtieth anniversary tour. He played on the subsequent albums and has continued to tour with the group.