Sim Simons

Sim discovers jazz at the age of 13.
He becomes a teacher, and rapidly starts collecting records and information related to all the forms of jazz. In 1968 radio producer Elias Gistelinck (father of David Linx and founder of the Jazz Middelheim festival in Antwerp) asks him to host a weekly jazz radio show on the Belgian radio BRT. A jazz show for the youth was followed by many others. His radio collaborations continued with the BRTN and VRT and ended with "Jazzimut" in 2000. His radio shows : ‘Jazz voor de jeugd', ‘Duke's Place Plus', ‘Criss Cross', ‘Jazzimut', and special series : ‘Burgundy & St. Philip' (New Orleans), the Ellington- suites, the ‘School Days', with Miles Davis, Parker, Dolphy and some Belgian jazzmen, too (Jack Sels, Jean Warland, Etienne Verschueren…).

He wrote in-depth and well documented jazz articles for magazines such Jazzmozaïek, Swingtime and Doctor Jazz.

He also acted as MC for many concerts, festivals and gave numerous lectures on jazz, including a participation to the 100th birthday of Duke Ellington in 1999 in Washington (USA).
Co-author of several books : "The Finest in Belgian Jazz", the Sabam memorial 1922-1997 and wrote liner notes for a.o. "Jazz in Little Belgium / La collection Robert Pernet".

Sim Simons received in 2005, during the Belgian Django d'Or, the "Muse" Prize from Sabam, for his lifetime contribution to the promotion of jazz music.

He died at the age of 68.