Robbie van Leeuwen composer

date of birth: 29.10.1944

Robbie van Leeuwen (born 29 October 1944, The Hague) is a Dutch musician who was guitarist, sitarist, background vocalist and main songwriter for the Dutch bands The Motions, Shocking Blue and Galaxy-Lin. His most well-known compositions are Shocking Blue's most famous songs, "Venus", which was a US and UK No. 1 hit, "Love Buzz", which was covered by Nirvana and released as their first single, and "Demon Lover".

Originally the guitarist for the Motions, a Nederbeat band influenced by The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things, he decided to start Shocking Blue as a Dutch equivalent of Jefferson Airplane, which would combine a hard-edged rock style with a powerful and attractive female vocalist.