Walter De Buck

Walter De Buck (13 July 1934 – 21 December 2014) was a Belgian singer, sculptor and the founder of the modern Gentse Feesten. Walter De Buck was born in Ghent in 1934. He studied at the Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Ghent, where he graduated in 1954 magna cum laude. De Buck made his debut as a sculptor at the Expo 58 and was awarded several prizes for his sculptures. In 1962 he founded the vzw Trefpunt, with which he restarted the Gentse Feesten in 1969. As a musician, De Buck made name as a singer and writer of folklore music ('t Vliegerke). In 1984 De Buck retired from Trefpunt to focus on his sculpture work. De Buck, who suffered from early stage Alzheimer, died on 21 December 2014 in Ghent from the effects of esophageal cancer.