Kim Larsen

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Lore & Background

Kim Larsen was born in Copenhagen. Inspired by The Beatles and rock and roll, he began as a songwriter and guitarist. In 1969 he met Franz Beckerlee and Wili Jønsson, and the three founded Gasolin', which, later joined by drummer Søren Berlev, became one of the most successful Danish rock bands. The band dissolved in the late 1970s. In 1979, Larsen participated in the Danish stage of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ud i det blå" (lit.: Out into the blue). He came third out of 17 participants. The song was included on his album 231045-0637. Around 1980, Larsen moved to New York. He released two albums but was not successful in breaking through in America and returned to Denmark after a few years. Larsen released a number of solo albums in the 1980s, topping the charts in 1983 with the album Midt om natten (en: In the Middle of the Night). The album more or less became a soundtrack for the movie by the same name based upon it. In 1983, Larsen founded the band Kim Larsen & Bellami and released four albums until 1992, when after a couple of different line-ups, the band broke up. He then released another solo album, Hvem kan sige nej til en engel (Who Can Say No to an Angel). In the mid-1990s he founded the band Kim Larsen & Kjukken which was based in Odense. He wrote a tribute song about MS Jutlandia's contributions as a hospital ship of Danish Red Cross during the Korean War. The song titled "Jutlandia" became a large hit in Denmark in 1986. By the end of 2017, Larsen was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This would end up impacting his tour with Kim Larsen & Kjukken who were scheduled for concerts throughout January, February and March 2018. In a Facebook post published to the band's official profile page, Larsen apologised for the inconvenience and explained that he intended to be back playing by the start of the summer. Larsen died of prostate cancer at his home in Odense on 30 September 2018. A week after his death a large memorial concert was held in Copenhagen with around 35,000 people attending, and major Danish musicians such as Magtens Korridorer, Love Shop, The Minds of 99, and Tim Christensen performing cover versions of Larsen's songs. Larsen frequently voiced his opposition to established society and instead advocated the right to be different from the mainstream. The album and movie Midt om natten revolves around this subject – in fact you can compare the movie action to the real Danish BZ movement BZ, Sorte Hest and also Freetown Christiania, located in Copenhagen. The same opposition is also shown by the album 231045-0637 – the title is Kim Larsen's personal identification number which is strictly personal. Larsen was against the big database of every citizen, implied by this title. Kim Larsen was a heavy smoker, and he was critical of Danish anti-smoking laws. In August 2008, he paid for an advertising campaign which showed the text "Tillykke med rygeforbudet – Gesundheit macht frei !!!". The first sentence means "Congratulations on the smoking ban" in Danish, and the second sentence means "health makes (you) free" in German, a reference to the Nazi phrase Arbeit macht frei. Claiming that smoking bans are made not to protect smokers, but non-smokers, Kim Larsen made a connection between smoking bans and Nazism.

Reader's Guide

Kim Larsen's significance lies in his central role in Danish rock music, first as a founding member of Gasolin', one of the most successful Danish rock bands, and later as a prolific solo artist and band leader. His 1983 album Midt om natten topped the charts and became a cultural touchstone, spawning a film of the same name. Larsen's work often expressed opposition to established society, as seen in the album title 231045-0637, which used his personal identification number to protest large citizen databases. His hit song "Jutlandia" commemorated a Danish Red Cross hospital ship during the Korean War. Larsen's legacy includes multiple chart-topping albums with Kim Larsen & Kjukken in the 2000s and a massive memorial concert attended by 35,000 people. His outspoken views on smoking bans and his advocacy for nonconformity made him a controversial but enduring figure in Danish culture.

Did You Know?

• Kim Larsen began his musical career in 1968 after a brief period as an elementary school teacher.
• In 1979, he participated in the Danish stage of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ud i det blå" and came third out of 17 participants.
• The album title 231045-0637 is Kim Larsen's personal identification number, used to protest against the big database of every citizen.
• In August 2008, he paid for an advertising campaign that referenced the Nazi phrase Arbeit macht frei to criticize Danish anti-smoking laws.
• A week after his death, a memorial concert in Copenhagen drew around 35,000 people, with major Danish musicians performing cover versions of his songs.