Freddy Cousaert (1937 – 19 August 1998) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

DJ, club owner and concert promoter, who was influential in developing an audience for authentic

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

music in Europe, and, in particular, for his role in the career of Marvin Gaye.

Life

From the late 1950s, Cousaert ran a club in

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

that became known for playing American R&B music which was, at the time, rarely heard in Europe.

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, pow ...

, who visited the club as a teenager, said that "We were attracted by the sounds on the jukebox... It wasn't the normal top 10 stuff. He had

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and Charles Brown, blues people." Cousaert regularly visited the Q Club in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, run by Jamaican-born

Count Suckle Wilbert Augustus Campbell (12 August 1931 – 19 May 2014),George Ruddock"Jamaican Club Legend Count Suckle Died From 'Heart Attack'" ''The Voice'', 27 May 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014 known as Count Suckle, was a Jamaica-born sound system o ...

, which was frequented by many musicians on the

British R&B British rhythm and blues (or R&B) was a musical movement that developed in the United Kingdom between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, and reached a peak in the mid-1960s. It overlapped with, but was distinct from, the broader British beat ...

scene. "Marvin Gaye: From Misery to Ostend", ''DJ Premier Blog'', 2 April 2010
Retrieved 19 February 2014 By the late 1960s, Cousaert ran the Groove

discotheque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gene ...

in Ostend, playing mid-tempo

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

music that later developed into what became known in Belgium as the Popcorn style.Michel Scarpone, "History of Belgium Popcorn", first published in ''Discoveries'' magazine
. Retrieved 6 February 2014 In the 1960s and 1970s, Cousaert also worked as a

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

executive for Muhammad Ali in Europe. In 1980, American

singer Marvin Gaye had completed a tour in Britain, had developed a serious dependence and addiction to

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

, and was having to deal with major taxation issues with the US Internal Revenue Service. He contacted Cousaert, who persuaded him to relocate to Ostend. Gaye lived there with Cousaert and his family for several months in 1981, avoiding heavy drug use, exercising in a local gym, attending a local church, regaining his confidence and performing in concert in Ostend. With writer

David Ritz David Ritz (born December 2, 1943 in New York City) is an American author. He has written novels, biographies, magazine articles, and over a hundred liner notes for artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Nat King Cole. He has coauthore ...

, Gaye also wrote his comeback song, "

Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a song recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye from his seventeenth and final studio album, '' Midnight Love'' (1982). It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, followi ...

", while in Belgium. Cousaert was involved in Gaye signing a new contract with Columbia Records, before he returned to the US."Newsline...", ''Billboard'', 5 September 1998, p.92
/ref> Cousaert continued to organise concerts in Belgium for R&B and

singers. He was instrumental in setting up the regular Beach Festivals in Belgium. He died in 1998, aged 61, from heart failure following a cycling accident near

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population. The area of the whole city a ...

.The Dead Rock Stars Club
Retrieved 19 February 2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cousaert, Freddy 1937 births 1998 deaths People from Ostend Belgian DJs Road incident deaths in Belgium