Garth Brooks Salutes Late Journalist Rineke Van Beek

Former CMA President Ed Benson and Dierks Bentley present the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award to Rineke van Beek in 2005. Photo: Dan Harr

Longtime Dutch country music journalist Rineke Van Beek passed away last month following a lengthy battle with cancer. During her 30-year career, she worked for Country Gazette in Holland, which was the recipient of the CMA’s award for international journalism. Following the closure of Country Gazette, Van Beek worked with Nashville FM.

Among the many fans of her work is superstar artist Garth Brooks. “Rineke was a true flag-bearer for country music around the world,” he says. “Country music is basically ‘American’ to everyone outside the U.S., but thank God, Rineke saw beyond the borders we build and saw the music for what it was…the voice of the common man. Country music is less today because one of its greatest fans is gone. Miss Van Beek’s family has all of our thoughts and prayers, love, and respect.”