Dean Saunders Releases Tribute Song for Ben Saunders Despite Widow’s Request
On September 25, 2026, entertainment publications reported that Dutch singer Dean Saunders released a musical tribute to his late brother, Ben Saunders, alongside artist Frank van Etten. The release arrived less than two weeks after Ben Saunders passed away at age 43, moving forward despite a public request from Ben’s widow, Janita, asking artists to wait before publishing commemorative songs.
The Collaborative Tribute and the Widow’s Request
According to reports from Weekblad Party, Frank van Etten shared a preview of the emotional track on September 25, 2026. The song combines a Nederlandstalige text with the melody of How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, written from the perspective of someone promising to watch over departed loved ones. Dean Saunders and Frank van Etten scheduled the song’s release for Friday morning.
The release directly counters a prior public appeal from Ben’s widow, Janita. Following the singer’s passing, Janita announced that unreleased music recorded by Ben exists and stated her intention to share those recordings with fans in the future. At the same time, she asked fellow artists to refrain from releasing their own musical tributes for the time being. Weekblad Party noted that it remains unclear whether Dean Saunders or Frank van Etten contacted Janita behind the scenes or secured her consent prior to the release.
Family Decisions Surrounding the Memorial
The music release follows another difficult development within the family. Earlier in the week, Dean Saunders announced that he and his parents made the heavy decision not to attend Ben’s funeral. Writing on behalf of the family, Dean stated that choosing not to attend was the hardest decision they ever had to make, undertaken out of love for Ben, though no further explanation for the absence was provided.
As the family deals with these private and public strains, stepdaughter Nikia, 18, also shared public words honoring Ben Saunders, describing him as her father and best friend, and calling him her eternal example, as reported by NU and AD.nl. Meanwhile, Ben’s partner shared her grief publicly, describing her heart as feeling like a large open wound, according to De Telegraaf. Omroep Gelderland also covered the ongoing developments regarding the release of Dean’s tribute against the wishes of the widow.