Grethe Kausland | |
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Grethe Kausland with her husband Halvard (1966) Photo Rigmor Dahl Delphin / Oslo Museum
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Born |
Grethe Nilsen July 3, 1947 Horten, Vestfold |
Died | November 16, 2007 | (aged 60)
Occupation | Actress, Vocalist, Singer |
Grethe Kausland (July 3, 1947 in Horten – November 16, 2007) was a Norwegian singer, performer and actress. As a child star she was one of Norway's most popular singers (her debut single “Teddyen min” from 1955, sold more than 100 000 records), and she participated in several films as a child. She represented Norway in the European Song Contest 1972 singing Småting with Benny Borg. From 1973 she performed regularly with the entertaining group Dizzie Tunes. Awarded "Spellemannprisen" 1978 for the album A Taste of Grethe Kausland, and "Leonardstatuetten" 1991 for her achievements on the revue scene.
She died from lung cancer on 16 November 2007 in Oslo, Norway.
Grethe made her stage debut at only four years of age at a local revue scene. Winning a radio-transmitted amateur competition when eight years old led to her first record – "Teddyen min"/Cowboyhelten" (1955), selling over 100 000 and becoming a big radio hit. Her film career started with Smuglere i smoking 1957. As a twelve-year-old girl she had already issued ten records and played in five movies. She was known to be "crazy about jazz" already as a child, "illegally" visiting jazz clubs. Despite her girl's voice, she was "swinging" like a grown-up jazz singer.
Kausland's cooperation with the show group Dizzie Tunes started with her Chat Noir Theatre debut På go'fot (1973). Later followed the shows Showkade med og uten fyll (1974), Vi spillopper (1976, film version 1979), Memories Of Music (1979/1980, also video), The Show Must Go Home (1984, also video), Festsprell i Dizzie Tider (1988). She also participated in many of their TV shows. Sing Sala Bim (1973) was awarded Bronze Rose at the Montreux festival.
Her music albums with Dizzie Tunes:Toppop 1 (1972), Mere Ra-ta-ta-ta (1972), Folk i nord (1973), Hei-hå-hei-hå (1973), Norsklåt (1973), På go'fot med Dizzie Tunes (1973), Memories of Music (1982), Go'biter med Dizzie Tunes (1992).
In a 1993 adaptation of Robyn Archer and Rodney Fischer's show A Star is Torn Grethe Kausland portrayed nine tragical female fates in popular music: Bessie Smith, Helen Morgan, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Marie Lloyd, Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Washington and Janis Joplin. A full evening one-woman-performance, first at Rogaland Teater (Stavanger, 1993, 45 performances ), and later at Victoria Teater (Oslo, 1995).