Towards the end of 1985 Irene heard that Louis van Wyk was auditioning for
a new group. With the help of a mutual friend, she managed to get hold of
his telephone number, phoned him and asked him if she could audition.
At that stage, Irene was singing in a cover band and he offered to come and see
her perform with the band. He was impressed with her performance and she
landed the job of lead singer and bass
player in the all-girl, multi-racial group, Chess.
"It was most definitely not love at first sight", says Irene about hubbie Louis.
"It was a gradual relationship, which was kept secret
until about two months before our wedding on 12 September 1987."
Yvonne
Chaka-Chaka and Ricardo and Friends were among the artists who sang at the
wedding.
Paul Ditchfield and Eddie Eckstein were the Masters of Ceremonies.
Irene and Louis
Irene has a 9-year old son named Vaughn and a 5-year old daughter named Irene-Louise. "Vaughn is a gorgeous blonde, green-eyed Scorpio; the sensitive type, highly strung and very much tuned into my emotions. " says Irene. His ambition is to become a sports star.
Irene-Louise is nick-named Rientjie and is "more than a handful. She is a real tomboy; a Leo with a will of her own, she has honey-blonde hair and mischievous hazel eyes. She wants to become a "dancing girl". Although I had never considered myself the maternal type, I really thrive on motherhood. "
"My life revolves around my children and I cherish every moment I spend with them. I can only hope that one day Vaughn and Rientjie will realise the depth of my love for them."
Her latest CD, "Evergreen" is dedicated to them.
