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Published: April 11, 2010
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MEET THE STAR...
HERMA VOS
Meet Dutch born SBF member Herma Vos, who left her native country at the age of 18, to move to Paris - not knowing at the time that it would become her permanent home. Her showbiz career spans from working at the Lido and the Paradis Latin, to modeling & acting, to her present career as a jazz singer in a two-woman show.
We asked Herma to tell us more about her Showbiz life... |  |
 My showbiz years were my first life experience... facing and dealing with people , their attitudes , characters, warmth, jealousy, love and friendship... |  How old were you when you started dancing and what inspired you to take it up?
Herma Vos: I took my first classic ballet lesson at the age of 4, along with my sisiter who was 5. My mother told us it was important for a girl to learn how to move her body with grace...
I admired my dance teacher very much - watching her come and go from one school to another in her little car, it showed independence and freedom. Shortly afterwards I told my mother that I wanted to become a dance teacher... and I did!
 What's your most memorable show and the highest moment of your life as a performer?
HV: My most memorable show was Nuit de Paradis at the Paradis Latin. I loved being in that show, because it was not only about dancing, but also acting.
The highest moment though was the opening night of Allez Lido. I was 21 years old. I heard my name through the sound system: "Herma, let's go!", and there I was standing behind the curtain all alone, with my white fur-costume, hearing the orchestra playing their first notes.  My legs were shaking like hell, but as soon as the curtain opened and I saw that big empty stage in front of me, I did my first movements and I felt elated...
One thing I was really proud of, is the night Sylvester Stallone walked on stage at the end of the finale holding this big arch in his hands full of red roses...so romantic...I loved it...!
Two years later he got married to Brigitte Nielsen, who wore MY finale headdress...!
What was your most challenging show?
HV: The most challenging show I did was again Nuit de Paradis at the Paris Paradis. I was actually only supposed to be the replacement for Catherine Rivère. My career as a model had just taken off, when I got a telephone call from Jean Marie Rivière. He needed me just to help him out for 6 weeks before they closed for the summer holidays and it would give him some more time to find a permanent replacement.
| ...go for your dreams, believe in what you do and listen to your heart, stay happy, healthy and don't forget to enjoy life! | I had 4 days to rehearse that show which consisted of the Tigre (9 minutes), the Swan (7 minutes), the Opening with the boys (5 minutes), but I didn't have time to rehearse the Finale! I only knew when to come down the stairs and then I just improvised until the end with lip synching to the French words, when I hadn't the slightest idea what I was singing! The Paradis Latin management were very clever though, as 2 weeks later I was all over the newspapers and so I couldn't leave anymore to go back to my career as a model... I ended up staying for 3 years...
 What's your funniest moment on stage?
HV: My funniest moment on stage was when I started to sing with 'The Grand Orchestre du Splendid'. I was talking to my girlfriend in the 'loge', when all of a sudden we heard the introduction music starting on stage... we were late... and instead of grabbing my wireless-mike, I grabbed my hairbrush and... dashed on stage with it!
What was your most embarrassing costume?
HV: My most embarrassing costume was when Jean Marie Rivière decided at the last minute for a New Year's Eve show, to make me drive on stage on a motor-bike wearing only a helmet, boots and a g-string... I've never felt so naked in my life...
Did you ever have a show, where everything went wrong?
 HV: A show where everything went wrong... I don't really remember, but one night at the Paradis Latin, when Miss Bluebell and Donn Arden were sitting in the first row, I had to make a flying entrance on stage in the Pink Floyd Swan number. However, the wire that was holding the little platform I was lying on, got stuck and I had to crawl out of it on my hands and knees...
What's the strangest or most memorable audience you have performed for?
HV: The strangest audience I guess was in the old Lido when I had to step over the heads of the Japanese guests who had fallen asleep with their heads on stage...
How have your Showbiz years helped you in your life after the stage and if you could do it all over again, would you?
 HV: My showbiz years were my first life experience after leaving for Paris at the age of 18 - not knowing very much about life, and it made me become a adult in a very short time. Even today, I still wonder how I was be able to get through it, without too much hassle or problems - facing and dealing with people , their attitudes , characters, warmth, jealousy, love and friendship.
If I had to do it all over again... Oh yes, I would!!!
What are you doing now?
 HV: I have been travelling all over the world for the last 10 years, working in business-tourism, organizing incentive trips, conventions and congresses, while singing with my jazz quartet whenever I get the chance...!
Celebrating my 35th artistic career anniversary, this year in August, I decided to try and finally make a dream come true - not a one-woman show, but a two woman-show called The Amazones, together with my dear friend Radiah Frye. We launched this month... it is a mixture of songs and little sketches... not taking ourselves too seriously and never forgetting to have fun...
What advice would you give to up and coming performers?
| The highest moment in my career was the opening night of Allez Lido. I was 21 years old. I heard my name through the sound system: "Herma, let's go!"... | HV: My advice for future performers would be to go for your dreams, believe in what you do and listen to your heart, stay happy, healthy and don't forget to enjoy life!
What do you think of ShowBiz Friends?
HV: ShowBiz Friends is a wonderful platform where all artists can share their passion...
Thank you Herma for this entertaining interview and best of luck for your new project!
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