Known as: Des'ray Manders
Birth Name: Desirée Claudette Manders
Date of Birth: October 28, 1969
Place of Birth: Gravenhage
Occupation: Singer (of 2 Brothers on the
4th floor)

I was born as Desirée Claudette Manders on october, 28th 1969 in 's Gravenhage. When I was a baby, my parents did go live together in a house near the water in Leidschendam. Because my father had to travel a long way to his work, we moved to "Hoeven" in Brabant when I was six years of age. During my school period I've lived there. In that period I knew I wanted to become a singer. Each friday afternoon we had a 'celebration' on school where we as little children did a performance. My girl friends and I played a scene from the movie 'Grease' with singing, dancing changing clothes. You know, just to be the star of that day. In that time I learned to play my first tunes on the piano and I had flute lessons. In that time animals & Music (especially singing) where my biggest Hobby. I grew up and at the age of 12 I did go to the M.A.V.O. in "Oudenbosch" That was a difficult time, because all my friend of school did go to the H.A.V.O. so I didn't see them anymore. When I finally did feel a little comfortable, we had to move again, this time to Limburg because my fathers work.

We did go live in Horst-Meterk and I was back again in a class where I didn't know anyone, and even didn't understand what they where saying. Even when the teacher Dutch did read something to let us write down, I didn't know what he was talking about ! I was a lonely teenager, a Dutch one !!! Happily, the girls from the village -with who I did ride to school on my bicycle- where very kind to me and bit by bit I did feel my self on my place and I did got some great girl friends. We did write complete books of pieces of paper to eachother! You know; 'Down under the table pass through system'. At last settled I joined the schoolband and I was at the school quere, because music was still my greatest hobby. I took piano lessons on the music school and worked on my condition at the sportschool. Beside this all, my dream became truth, I did got my own pony from my family! Hiddy was her name and I joined the horse riding club. I that time I spend my day with going to school, make home work and horse riding. With a girl friend I did set up a small danceclub. We tried to imitate all the songs of the serie 'Fame' and on village afternoon we did gave a performance. (Also videoclips of Michael Jackson were a great inspiration).

Beside that we had to sing in the church quere. After all, a busy girl who just had enough time to do her homework... The singing did go very well and a girl friend of my mother taught it was a great idea to write me in for a talent contest. I was very unsure and nervouse, 'cause singing for a big audience was a dream, a fantasy. But now when it really would happen, I was a bit frightnend. I was shaking on my legs and had to go to the toilet continuesly. The moment was there... I was singing Woman in Love of Barbara Streisand... and... while I sung my latest note, I run off the podium and backstage I heard a big applause and I ended with the 1st price. The first price was a perfomance on the yearly village party between other great artists from the neighourhood. Again a scary great performance!!! In Limburg a lot of party's where organized and ofcourse with a lot of music, so from one thing came another and I increased my skills with others of my favorite artists like Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and my father told me to take a look in the music library to search for other usefull numbers.

Let me tell you something about my family: Music allways had played a big role in our family. My father and mother both played the gituar (my father still does!!) and there was a piano in the house. And with family party's everone spend the night at our house and we made music. It was even a tradition to perform a show every year at the birthday of my grandmother and act like artist such as The Everly Brothers and Kate Bush. Because all kind of music styles where played at home like country and gipsey music I did grew up with all these kind of styles. Besides that, making music was stimulated.

After the M.A.V.O. I did do the M.E.A.O. With the encourgement of my parents I often did take part of talent contests with my father as "TourManager". In that time Henny Huisman did get famouse with the 'SounMixShow' and he did travel the country looking for talent. I did made it trough the first rounds and made my TV debute as 'Anita Meyer' with the song They don't play our love song anymore. I became 1st in place and made it trough the finals. It took me to the 3th place. Not bad, isn't it?

At school it didn't go so well. I didn't spend many time anymore at school and decided this wasn't the right education for me. I did follow a education as beaty specialist of three year. This was much better because I had more time left so I was able to do what I best like, singing! Because of the SoundMixShow I did get to know more people from the 'music scene'. I did perform a lot in Disco's and company parties, did my first TV perfomance at Frank Masmeyer and again I felt unsure between all those great artists and their even bigger managers. Happily my father was there to back me up to speak for me.

In the mean while there where made big plans about my carrere, nevertheless I've been on television and was known as 'The Anita Meyer of the SoundMixShow'. The only problem was that I looked to much like Anita Meyer, so we had to come up with something different.

There was set up a duo (Nope, not yet...) T.O.T.B. was the name what ment 'Totaly Organized Trendy Bobbers', with singer Nando van Heiningen (The 'George Benson' of the SoundMixShow). I did also had my own fanclub, just like Glenda Peters and other artists of the SoundMixShow there was a lot of attention like fanclubs. We had some nice flanclub evenings, something to be very proud of.

I had some nice fans (I still have!!!) In that time I did get to know Martin Boer. He mixed our first single The Best of My Love. For Martin this was just like the start of his carrere. (Correct me if I'm wrong) and we'd became good friends. the number made it to the TipParade, what was a lot that time and we did visit a lot of radioprograms. The second and last single was Rap around the world en did never came out. And then, when the single 'Came out', my holiday with my friends had to cancel. I didn't knew... But the next time they'll have to wait until I come back!! But allright, where was I ? Oh yes, I didn't go very well for T.O.T.B. so we decided to split up and I went solo again. In the meanwhile the end of my education for beatyspeciallist was insight.

I did do solo performances and one such a performance was on a boat which shipped between England & The Netherlands. There I did get in contact with musicians who gave lessons on several conservatoria's and adviced me to do audition. I thought 'This ain't something for me. This will never work'. I did audition and they would let me do the study on the conservatorium in Hilversum. Jippieee!!! My great wish to get into music became reality. The study for beatyspecialist was history. You see, never say something isn't possible. When you want something really bad, everything is possible.

When I started at the conservatorium I had to go find a place for my own in a rented room. Far away from my protecting family. Because I had to do a upgrade niveau education, I didn't get collage money. So I had to do all kind of jobs to keep my self supported. With sometimes only ten guilders left in a week, I was studying notes. In that time I had more carreres like; saleswoman at Etos, Coolcat, Bakery, restaurant and last but not least... The shoarma store!! My conservatorium time was stormy and I learned a lot from other colleguases and good friends. It was a time where I did get more mature and surely of myself. Most of all my value as singer. I did graduate with a exame to be proud of and that counts also for the people I did get to know during my study!!! Love U All!!

I still had contact with Martin Boer, who I visited often. Indeed... On the 4th Floor of an appartment in Utrecht. In 1993 Martin en Bobby asked me to sing a number. Probally it would brought out. The song would contain song and rap and they also knew a good rapper. I was very fond of the number and did sing it in. After this rapper did sing it in, we did met each other for the first time in the studio. His name was Renee Philips ( D-Rock) and my artistname would become Des'Ray. Together we would become the face of the 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor. The first song was named Never Alone. First everyone saw this as a project and maybe we had to perform on stage for 3 months. There came some dancers and on januari 1th 1994 we had our first performance together. I'll never forget this; we didn't had enough to perfom on stage. So, we put up a show of 25-30 minutes with 3 times 'Never Alone' in it! We looked awefull!! Renee in his Jeans and I with my gathered 'Artist-outfit. Becausewe didn't knew each other really good, we talked trough each other and the big disaster when a dancer broke his feet. To keep it short; Very exiting mess, but very cosy.

Well, you know the rest. Never Alone did became a great hit and immediatly made it to number 2. After this we had some highlights like Dreams who stayed 2 weeks on number 1. We're now 5 year together and I can say Renee has become some kind of brother of me. We shared some love and hate. Together with Martin and Bobby we became a real close team, which is something not a lot of people could say.

Considering for me personally, I'm only at the beginning of my carrere. I'm 28th years and I'm happy to see with who I've worked together and will be working together with. I'm a Lucky girl. When you want something really bad and you want to do your best for it, I convinced that you can do anything you want."