Will Tura

Arthur Achiel Albert, Knight Blanckaert (born 2 August 1940 in Veurne), known by his stage name Will Tura, is a Belgian artist considered as the most successful Flemish-speaking singer of the 20th century.

Famous in Flanders and the Netherlands, Tura is a singer, musician (he plays the piano, guitar, drums, accordion and harmonica), composer and songwriter.

Tura's first hit was Eenzaam zonder jou (Eng, Lonely without you) in 1963, for which he wrote the melody, and Ke Riema the text.

The first collaboration with Nelly Byl resulted in the song (Draai dan) 797204 (Eng: Then turn 797204) a cover of Hawkshaw Hawkins' Lonesome 7-7203.

It became an instant hit, but it also caused a fuss.

Since the telephone number 797204 turned out to really exist in the Netherlands, the song was banned there on the radio.

The cooperation with Byl will become exceptional.

For many successful songs, she wrote the lyrics, after Tura composed the music earlier.

It turned out to be the breakthrough of the alternative band Noordkaap, who covered his 1967 song Arme Joe (Eng: Poor Joe), about a race driver that dies in his last race.

In 1974, he was the first Belgian artist to sell out Vorst National in Brussels.

Will Tura is married to Jenny Swinnen, with whom he has a son David (born 16 October 1974) and a daughter Sandy (born 21 November 1975).

After a performance at the main square of Veurne on the occasion of his 75th birthday, Tura decided to reduce the number of concerts.

He worked as co-composer for the Studio 100 musical '40-'45, of which the soundtrack became a certified golden album.

In 1984 he made a tribute album to Elvis Presley in Nashville, together with Elvis' band.

In 1987 Will recorded the album Ouvertura, together with the London Symphony Orchestra and Robert Groslot.

Tura had a car accident in 1988, and the song Mooi, 't leven is mooi (Eng: Beautiful, life is beautiful) about it became a megahit in Flanders, and it became the most frequently played song of 1989 according to SABAM, with Clouseau's Anne in second place.

In 1990, various alternative rock artists from Flanders created Turalura, a tribute album for the artist.

Many hits followed in various musical styles, including rock 'n roll, gospel, country and rap (Moa vent toch, released in 1992, in the West Flemish dialect).

During the sixties and seventies, Will Tura was by far the most popular Dutch-speaking artist in Flanders.

In 1992 he also released his first Tura in Symfonie, performing with a symphonic orchestra.

Tura sang Ik mis je zo (Eng: I miss you so) and Hoop doet leven (Eng: Hope gives life) at the ceremony for the deceased King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.

In 1995 Will was made cultural ambassador of Flanders.

Tura sold out Vorst Nationaal for three concerts in 1998.

2 years later, he was the central artist at Nekka-Nacht.

At the engagement party of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde in 1999 he gave a mini-recital.

His songs were performed by artists like Toots Thielemans, Noordkaap and Johan Verminnen, and the concert was released as an album Will Tura & Vrienden-Nekka Nacht 2000.

In 2002 one of Tura's dreams came true, recording an album at the Abbey Road Studios entitled De Mooiste Droom (Eng: the most beautiful dream) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2005, Tura's 65th birthday was celebrated elaborately in the Flemish media, along with the release of the cd Viva Tura.

Nicknamed the Emperor of the Flemish Song, he released hundreds of singles and albums that cover a wide array of styles, and continued to tour into the 2010s.

Will Tura started singing when he was only nine years old, covering Gilbert Bécaud and Nat King Cole.

Tura's first producer was Jacques Kluger, and later his son Jean Kluger.

A second tribute to Tura, Turalura 2, was released in 2010.

On the album, artist like Arid, Triggerfinger, Arno and k's Choice all sang in Dutch, which was unusual for them.

His daughter married Flemish TV presenter Luc Alloo in 2011.

In 2014 he reprised "Hoop doet leven" at the funeral of Queen Fabiola.

A documentary film of Will Tura, Hoop Doet Leven, directed by Dominique Deruddere was released in the Flemish movie theatres in 2018.

A Studio 100 musical, Vergeet Barbara, celebrating the songs of Tura was premiered in 2022.

A year later, after a 60-year long career, Will Tura decided to completely quit performing.

Shortly after that, it was revealed that he suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

His very last album, a 5 CD collection of 100 singles, was released end July 2023.