Jyrki Hämäläinen (27 July 1942

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

- 18 March 2008) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

magazine editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

who also authored several

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

of prominent figures in Finnish

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...

. Hämäläinen was the former editor of '' Suosikki'', a magazine which focuses on the country's

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

scene. Hämäläinen also worked as an MC,

concert promoter Tour promoters (also known as concert promoters or talent buyers) are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of engagement to a particular artist, ...

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...

and producer. Jyrki Hämäläinen was the editor of ''Suosikki'', a

teen magazine Teen magazines are magazines aimed at teenage readers. They usually consist of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, stickers, small samples of cosmetics or other products and inserts. The teen magazine industry is ...

, from 1968 until his retirement from the

publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...

in 2002. Hämäläinen was well known for interviewing high-profile

celebrities Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

including

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Hämäläinen, who often had his photograph taken with the celebrity whom he was interviewing, was nicknamed the "king of the backstage passes." Hämäläinen also authored several biographies of leading people within Finnish popular culture. The subjects of his writings included

Olavi Virta Olavi Virta (originally to 1926 Oskari Olavi Ilmén) (27 February 1915 in Sysmä, Grand Duchy of Finland – 14 July 1972 in Pispala, Tampere, Finland) was a Finnish singer, acclaimed during his time as the "King" of Finnish tango. Between 1939 a ...

(born 1915 - died 1972), a Finnish tango singer;

Urpo Lahtinen Urpo Juhani Lahtinen was a Finland, Finnish magazine publisher. He was born on 22 April 1931 in Helsinki and died on 15 October 1994 in Tampere. Urpo Lahtinen started his journalistic career in 1952 writing for the Social Democratic paper ''Etee ...

(born 1931 - died 1994), a media mogul and the founder of the gossip magazine, ''

Hymy ''Hymy'' (Finnish: "Smile") is a monthly celebrity magazine published in Helsinki, Finland. It has been in circulation since 1959. History and profile ''Hymy'' was launched in 1959 by publisher Urpo Lahtinen and named after his wife Hymy Lahtine ...

''; and Finnish singer Ilkka “Danny” Lipsanen. Jyrki Hämäläinen died suddenly at the age of 65 at his home in

Espoo, Finland Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi whil ...

, on 18 March 2008. Hämäläinen had complained of stress and had been hospitalized due to illness for a short time before he died.

References

External links

Suosikki MagazineJyrki Hämäläinen Biography
1942 births 2008 deaths Finnish writers Finnish biographers People from Tampere 20th-century biographers 20th-century Finnish journalists {{Finland-writer-stub