Jyrki Hämäläinen (27 July 1942 – 18 March 2008) was a Finnish

magazine editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, 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, organization, and ...

who also authored several

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

of prominent figures in Finnish

pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...

. 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.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

scene. Hämäläinen also worked as an MC, concert promoter,

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

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

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

, from 1968 until his retirement from the

publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Convention, articl ...

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 due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...

including

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. 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 until 1926 Oskari Olavi Ilmén; 27 February 1915 – 14 July 1972) was a Finnish singer, acclaimed during his time as the "King" of Finnish tango. Between 1939 and 1966 he recorded almost 600 songs, many of which are ...

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

Urpo Lahtinen Urpo Juhani Lahtinen was a 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 ''Eteenpäin'' ...

(born 1931 – died 1994), a media mogul and the founder of the gossip magazine, '' Hymy''; and Finnish singer Ilkka "Danny" Lipsanen. Jyrki Hämäläinen died suddenly at the age of 65 at his home in

Espoo, Finland Espoo (, ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located to the west of the capital, Helsinki, in southern Uusimaa. The population is approximately . It is the most populous Municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. Espoo is part of the Helsi ...

, on 18 March 2008. Hämäläinen had complained of stress and had been hospitalized due to illness for a short time before he died. Not to be confused with the Finnish author and journalist .

References

External links

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