Pussycat

Dutch country music group Pussycat was formed in Brunssum, Netherlands in 1973. Founded by sisters Tony, Betty, and Marianne Kowalczyk – all of them working as telephone operators at the time- the trio recruited guitarists Lou Willé, Theo Wetzels, Theo Coumans, and John Theunissen and Pussycat was born. They came to prominence in 1975 when they released the single "Mississippi," which shot to Number 1 in many countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and England. The following year, Pussycat released their debut album called First of All, which featured their second and final number one single, “Georgie.” Pussycat continued to release hit albums including Souvenirs (1977) and West Day in September (1978), both of which released the Top 20. However, 1979’s Simply to Be with You failed to chart in their homeland and barely made the Top 40 in Norway. The Best of Pussycat (1979) was not a hit although Pussycat rebounded with Blue Lights (1981), which reached Number 10 on the charts in the Netherlands. The sudden upswing in popularity didn’t last and their 1983 album, After All, failed to chart. Pussycat split in 1985 but temporarily reunited in 2004. Over the years, several compilations have been released containing Pussycat’s best-loved songs including The Collection & More (1994) and 25 jaar na Mississippi (2001).