Thijs van Leer

Thijs van Leer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtɛis fɑn ˈleːr]; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch musician, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies. From 1967 to 1969, van Leer was backing vocalist and musician in a theatre cabaret act headed by Ramses Shaffy; recorded singles as a solo artist; and produced, arranged, and conducted music for Bojoura. He formed Trio Thijs van Leer, a three-piece rock band which evolved into Focus in late 1969 following the addition of guitarist Jan Akkerman.