September 4, 2026

Today is World AIDS Day: let’s remember René Klijn’s splendid version of Yazoo’s Mr. Blue

Today is World AIDS Day: let's remember René Klijn's splendid version of Yazoo's Mr. Blue
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Today is World AIDS Day, it is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

Today is the perfect day to remember a special live version of Yazoo’s “Mr. Blue” by René Klijn. Klijn was a member of the boyband Bam-to-Bam-Bam. He died September 5, 1993 in Amsterdam from AIDS-related complications. In 1992 he performed the Yazoo cover “Mr Blue” on Dutch Television, clearly suffering from the ravage AIDS had caused. This was his first performance at dutch television, after this show Rene entered the charts with this song. But within 1 year after this show he died because of aids.

Here’s René Klijn (1962-1993) in the TV-show ‘de Schreeuw van de Leeuw’ on 28 november 1992.

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