Died On This Date (April 23, 2011) Dutch Tilders / Dutch Australian Blues Musician
themusicsover Matthew “Dutch” Tilders
August 29, 1941 – April 23, 2011
Dutch Tilders was a blues musician born in the Netherlands but who moved to Australia with his family while still in his teens. Tilders was playing the harmonica by the time he landed his first gig at the age of 15, but soon switched to the guitar. He went on to release several albums while performing with the likes of Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Back home in Australia, he was dubbed the “Godfather of Blues,” and even the great B.B. King once proclaimed that regardless of his European birth, Tilders was a genuine bluesman. He continued to tour as recently as late 2010 despite the fact that he was diagnosed with lung cancer in May of that same year. Dutch Childers officially retired in February of 2011 and passed away from the cancer on April 23, 2011. He was 69.