Willy Bakken
Encyclopedia
Willy Bakken, stage
and pen name
willy b (24 June 1951 - 23 July 2010) was a Norwegian musician and popular culture writer.
He hailed from Furnes
. According to Bakken's own account, he became interested in rock music in 1963. As a guitarist he joined his first band in 1969. He released his first vinyl with the band Stangwolff in 1981. He later played in the mostly female band Crawdaddy Simone from 1983, later The Willy B Review.
In 1983 and 1984 he published two volumes of Norwegian rock history, titled Norge i rock, beat og blues. It has been called a "standard work". He became known for creating "rock family trees" about the fluctuating members of Norwegian rock bands. Bakken has been called a "rock archaeologist", a "rock oracle" and a living encyclopedia on popular culture. He contributed several articles to the biographical dictionary
Norsk biografisk leksikon
.
He wrote for the comic magazines Fantomet (The Phantom
), Agent X9 (Secret Agent X-9
) and James Bond-magasinet (James Bond
Magazine), the rock magazines Nye Takter from 1977 to 1983 and Rock Furore from 1988 to 1994, later mostly for the daily newspaper Dagbladet
and the musical magazine Backstage. He also issued fanzine
s such as Jello Submarine, and ran his own publishing house Rockarkivet.
In 1994 he released Vakre damer og blodig død about the history of the Norwegian pocket book, and in 1996 he chronicled the publishing of Norwegian popular magazines in the book Drømmenes marked. Fredrik Wandrup
had written that Bakken worked like a "professor of B culture". In 1999 he released the essay collection I dovregubbens hall vol. 1, and in 2002 he released the biography Sten Nilsen: Et liv med farger i svart/hvitt, about the book cover designer Sten Nilsen. When he died, he worked on a band biography about Motorpsycho
, a chronicle on concerts in Oslo as well as an autobiography. He had also been involved in the opening of the rock museum Rockheim.
He was a Christian, a teetotaler and vegetarian. He lived at Grorud
, and died from cancer in July 2010. After his death, a seminar on popular literature was held at the National Library of Norway. To the National Library, Bakken had donated much of his personal library. The collection spanned 2,500 rock albums, 5,000 books and magazines as well as 1,600 other items such as leaflets, posters and postcards. An exhibition of some of these items was held at the National Library between March and April 2011.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
and pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
willy b (24 June 1951 - 23 July 2010) was a Norwegian musician and popular culture writer.
He hailed from Furnes
Furnes
Furnes is a village in the Ringsaker municipality of Hedmark County , Norway.-History:Furnes is situated between Hamar and Brumunddal. Furnes was also a former municipality in Hedmark county. Furnes was separated from Vang in 1891. It was merged with Ringsaker January 1, 1964.Furnes's own parish...
. According to Bakken's own account, he became interested in rock music in 1963. As a guitarist he joined his first band in 1969. He released his first vinyl with the band Stangwolff in 1981. He later played in the mostly female band Crawdaddy Simone from 1983, later The Willy B Review.
In 1983 and 1984 he published two volumes of Norwegian rock history, titled Norge i rock, beat og blues. It has been called a "standard work". He became known for creating "rock family trees" about the fluctuating members of Norwegian rock bands. Bakken has been called a "rock archaeologist", a "rock oracle" and a living encyclopedia on popular culture. He contributed several articles to the biographical dictionary
Biographical dictionary
Biographical dictionaries – a type of encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information – have been written in many languages. Many attempt to cover the major personalities of a country...
Norsk biografisk leksikon
Norsk biografisk leksikon
Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...
.
He wrote for the comic magazines Fantomet (The Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
), Agent X9 (Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9 was a comic strip begun by writer Dashiell Hammett and artist Alex Raymond . Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996....
) and James Bond-magasinet (James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
Magazine), the rock magazines Nye Takter from 1977 to 1983 and Rock Furore from 1988 to 1994, later mostly for the daily newspaper Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
and the musical magazine Backstage. He also issued fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
s such as Jello Submarine, and ran his own publishing house Rockarkivet.
In 1994 he released Vakre damer og blodig død about the history of the Norwegian pocket book, and in 1996 he chronicled the publishing of Norwegian popular magazines in the book Drømmenes marked. Fredrik Wandrup
Fredrik Wandrup
Fredrik Wandrup is a Norwegian journalist and writer. He has been affiliated with Dagbladet since 1976, and won the Riksmål Society Literature Prize in 1995.-References:*...
had written that Bakken worked like a "professor of B culture". In 1999 he released the essay collection I dovregubbens hall vol. 1, and in 2002 he released the biography Sten Nilsen: Et liv med farger i svart/hvitt, about the book cover designer Sten Nilsen. When he died, he worked on a band biography about Motorpsycho
Motorpsycho
Motorpsycho is a band from Trondheim, Norway. Their music can generally be defined as psychedelic rock, but they also mix in elements from metal, jazz, rock, pop and many other musical styles. The members of the band are Bent Sæther , Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan and Kenneth Kapstad...
, a chronicle on concerts in Oslo as well as an autobiography. He had also been involved in the opening of the rock museum Rockheim.
He was a Christian, a teetotaler and vegetarian. He lived at Grorud
Grorud
Grorud is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough contains the Ammerud, Grorud, Kalbakken, Rødtvet, Nordtvet and Romsås areas. Traditionally a borough inhabited by the working class, Grorud has in the last few decades had a great influx of immigrants. 40% of the population are first or...
, and died from cancer in July 2010. After his death, a seminar on popular literature was held at the National Library of Norway. To the National Library, Bakken had donated much of his personal library. The collection spanned 2,500 rock albums, 5,000 books and magazines as well as 1,600 other items such as leaflets, posters and postcards. An exhibition of some of these items was held at the National Library between March and April 2011.