Nazareth was definately among my very favorites, and it was the first band I saw "LIVE - IN CONCERT". This happened in Njårdhallen in 1973 if I remember right. Then....like now....Gunnar Eide was arranging most of the concerts in Oslo and Norway, but the price for the tickets were pretty different. I paid like 30 kroners and was all the way up front. As close to the stage as you could come.
And when I, 15 years later was invited by their record company to spend a few days with them in the studio during the recording of the "Snakes & Ladders" album, I just couldn't turn that down. I stayed at the farm where the studio was, and got to know the guys in Nazareth fairly well. Very nice people, all of them.
Radio 1 has on numerous occations let our listeners meet their idols, and that's the setting around this picture. I've interviewed all the guys of Bon Jovi at a few occations, but this time it was our listeners that should meet up with their BIG stars just before a concert in Oslo Spektrum. This was only a short time after Jon Bon Jovi had a child (or rather his wife had), and I guess that's the reason for him being a little more worn out than how you usually see him. Richie Sambora did a better impression on our listeners.
Iron Maidens record company EMI, invited myself and my producer with our girlfriends to a releaseparty in London for the album "Fear Of The Dark". The party was held in an old auditorium where they had set up a kind of a fun-fair inside. The task was to get as many points as possible, which would eventually let you into the DarkRoom where the album was playing at Volume 11 (ref. Spinal Tap) and this glowing thing was passed around. Absolutely the very best release party I ever attended, and it also led to a very nice tie with the band, and Nicko in particular, who later did an appearance at a local school in Oslo as their music teacher for the day. A lot of fun for the kids (obviously) but also for us and Nicko himself, who invited the whole class of kids up on stage on that nights concert in Oslo. Also in the picture is Tina, my girlfriend at the time.
All the band memebers were walking around the auditorium, spending a lot of time with everyone there, and as every good releaseparty, they also had visitors from other bands. As you may see if you scroll down a bit further....
...cause all of a sudden i looked Blackie Lawless straight in the eyes. Well, not really. Since he's taller than me, i guess i had to look up at him. After seeing the WASP videos i always thought of him as pretty short and chubby, but i have to withdraw any such comment after meeting him. Both taller, and a lot more fit than i'll ever be. And also a very nice guy.
Sting is an artist that has always engaged in different political matters. And this picture (though not very good) is from when i hand him and the cheif of the south american tribe some money that the listeners of Radio 1 gave to support the fight for saving the rainforests.
One of the ultimate Rock bands is ZZ-Top. I tried to get to one of their shows for years, but it wasn't until they did their first show in Oslo that I got to see them. Radio1 had a big competition running up to the concert, with "look-a-like" ZZ-top cars and ZZ-top women, which all resulted in quite a few listeners meeting the Texas boys. Two of them are with me on this picture.
Deep Purple was a band I initially thought I would never be able to see "Live". At least not in their "original" appearance. They split up, but luckily it got very popular to reunite "old" bands, and that also happened with Deep Purple. So I'll tell you I was pretty excited when I was to interview Ian Gillan just before their first concert at Valle Hovin in Oslo. Probably due to the fact that I had been admiring Ian Gillan and his voice more than anyone else within rock. One of my own REALLY big idols.
I met Richard Marx on one of his Promotion tours. We did a competition on Radio 1, where the lucky winner got to meet her big Idol. Richard Marx was a major star i Norway, and had a big number of hits during the late 80's and early 90's. He also proved to have an extremly good sence of humor, and though he probably had met a number of fans along this tour, he still made sure that our winner really enjoyed her meet'n'greet with her Idol
Trey Lorenz is the guy who everybody was asking about when Mariah Carey did her version of Michael Jacksons "I'll be there". He also made it to Norway in his attempt to launch his career after performing with Mariah, but I guess it didn't go all that well here in Norway. Never the less he was a very nice guy with a wondervoice, and almost all of the "on-air-staff" of Radio 1 had a fun night with Trey. For the record the guys in the pic are (from left to right):Jill, Rune (above), Espen (below), Trey Lorenz, Stein, Bjørn, Stig & Lars.
This was my very first meeting with celebrities from the music business. I was 16, and the girls of the Runaways were 17 and 18, and to me the hottest things in the business. We met them at the airport in Oslo, and followed them to the hotel, to the soundcheck, saw the concert, and followed them back to the hotel. Runaways made it to Norway twice, but one of the concerts were cancelled due to their equipment being stranded in Sweden. We still got into the arena during soundcheck, so at least we got a bit of it all. And as you see, I got all of the girls autographs.
I've probably not made a very big mark in the world of sports, but that doesn't mean I don't like sporty women. So I simply couldn't refuse when I was asked to have Florence Griffith Joyner on my show when she was promoting her workout and fitness video. A very nice lady with even more facinating nails. But then again.....she runs her "Flo-Jo Nails" and is doing well in a lot of countires all over the world. The worst thing about having her on my show, was finding out she's a year older than me, while she looks a lot younger. I guess it has to do with our diffrencies in physical exercise and eating habits......
The quite liberated Italian politician Cicciolina, who was probably more known for her XXX-rated movies, and baring her breasts during political discussions, did also make it through our studio. This was in "the Early days", before we moved to our recent offices, and the man who brought her and a male porn-actor down to our studios was none less than Thore Henki Holm Hansen, the President of the european chapter of "Outlaws MC".
Ellen K is the sidekick of Rick Dees at Kiss FM in Los Angeles. I first met her at Radio 1 summer party in Norway, where she just dropped by, but have later met her on her home ground in Los Angeles, and last at a public appearance after her Playboy appearance. Here we are at the terrase of Radio 1 in Oslo.
Marna Haugen was crowned "Miss Norway 2003", and was a 22 year old girl from a small place on the wetsern coast of Norway called Ørsta. I was doing a job on a huge exhibition called "Sjøen for Alle", and had the pleasure of having her by my side for part of the job. A very nice and sweet girl! Obviously!!