29 July 1931: Kjell Karlsen born


Rather surprisingly, no Eurovision performer has ever been born on 29 July as far as we know - nor has anyone ever passed away on this date. In that case, there's always the next best thing: a composer. And in 1931 on this day, a very renowned composer was born: Kjell Oddvar Karlsen, a Norwegian band leader, composer, arranger, jazz pianist and organist, with a career spanning more than 60 years.

Inspired by the Nat King Cole jazz ensembles from the time of World War II, he started his own orchestra at the age of 16 in 1947, The Syncopators Band, in Sarpsborg, and he soon became a central figure in the local jazz scene. His Kjell Karlsen Orchestra performed the music in the national final of the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix in 1966, 1967 and 1968. Karlsen also was the composer of 'Kom sol, kom regn', which represented Norway in 1962, as performed by Inger Jacobsen.

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