Paul Oscar
Paul Oscar | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson |
Also known as | Paul Oscar |
Born | Reykjavík, Iceland | 16 March 1970
Genres | Pop |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1993–present |
Labels | Paul Oscar Productions (P.O.P.) |
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson[1] (born 16 March 1970), known internationally as Páll Óskar and Paul Oscar, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey. He had a musical childhood, singing at private functions, with choirs and for media advertisements, but was affected by bullying in school and tension between his parents at home.
Paul Oscar's musical range spans
Early life
The youngest of seven children[2] of Hjálmtýr E. Hjálmtýsson, a bank clerk, and Margrét Matthíasdóttir, a writer,[3] Paul Oscar was born on 16 March 1970 in Reykjavík.[4] As a child he displayed artistic talent in drawing, writing fairy tales and singing – his mother had him sing for the women in her sewing club and at family birthday parties.[5] He also spent much time singing in choirs and in media commercials,[6] and recorded his first album at the age of seven.[7] His first leading role in a professional theatre production was at 12 years of age in the musical version of Rubber Tarzan, a popular Danish children's novel by Ole Lund Kirkegaard (1940–1979). His voice broke two weeks after the musical's last performance, and he did not sing for the next few years.[7]
Although Paul Oscar's family encouraged his musical talent, his parents did not get along with each other, and he was bullied by his schoolmates. Paul Oscar recalled: "My nickname was Little Palli, and Palli was chubby, nerdy, someone who never got jokes right, who was afraid of other men." At age 13, he realized that he found men attractive, and came out to his family at 16. "For the first day, there was nice talk of acceptance, though my father did raise his voice. On the second day, and the third, and the fourth, there was this terrible silence. They treated me like an alien."[6] However, his mother was supportive. She said: "If Páll has the talent to fall in love, he should nurture that talent. And he has as much a right to sit down at my table with his partner as anybody else does with their partner."[8]
Paul Oscar rediscovered his voice at the age of 18, singing
Professional career
In the summer of 1993, Paul Oscar left Iceland for New York City, where he met fellow Icelanders Jóhann Jóhannsson and Sigurjón Kjartansson who were then on tour with heavy metal band HAM. They helped him release his first album, Stuð (Groove). In October 1993, Paul Oscar started singing with a band called Milljónamæringarnir (The Millionaires),[7] which released the albums Milljón á mann (A Million for Each, 1994),[10] Allur pakkinn (The Whole Lot, 1999) and Þetta er nú meiri vitleysan (This is Completely Foolish, 2001).
The year 1995 saw Paul Oscar make his début as a solo artist. In that year he formed his own recording company, Paul Oscar Productions (P.O.P.) and released an album of
Paul Oscar was Iceland's entrant in the annual
Paul Oscar worked with
At home in Reykjavík, Paul Oscar performs regularly as a
He has a reputation for being brash, even rude, when it comes to discussing gay concerns, especially gay sex. Matthías Matthíasson, Director of
Paul Oscar has said he realizes that "as a working place Iceland will be too small for me. Actually, it already is. But I am an Icelander. I will always keep a home here. My roots are so valuable to me. I wouldn't change them for a sack of gold."[6]
Personal life
Regarding his personal life, Paul Oscar has said: "I have a lot of work still to do. I have had three relationships that, from the outside, looked picture perfect, I suppose. But they were actually quite rotten, false, and abusive to me. What I am doing now is learning to fall in love with myself."[6]
Paul Oscar's father Hjálmtýr E. Hjálmtýsson (5 July 1933 – 12 September 2002),[16] with whom he had a difficult relationship, had roles in the Icelandic comedies Með allt á hreinu (On Top, 1982),[17] Löggulíf (A Policeman's Life, 1985),[18] and Karlakórinn Hekla (The Men's Choir, 1992).[19] His older sister, Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Diddú), is an opera singer.
Controversies
Allegations of antisemitism
Paul Oscar was a supporter of boycotting the
“The reason why the rest of Europe has been virtually silent is that Jews have woven themselves into the fabric of Europe in a very sly way for a very long time. It is not at all hip and cool to be pro-Palestine in Britain,” he said, saying at the interview’s conclusion: “The tragedy is that Jews learned nothing from the Holocaust. Instead, they have taken up the exact same policy of their worst enemy.”
He later apologized and retracted his statement.[20]
“I made judgements and generalisations about Jewish people. … I take full responsibility for these words, take back my remarks about Jewish people, they are wrong and hurtful. I will take responsibility in actions, from this point forward, and will never again speak ill of the Jewish people, wherever in the world they may live.”
Selected discography
Albums
- Stuð (Groove, 1993)
- Palli (1995)
- Seif (1996)
- Deep Inside (1999)
- Ef ég sofna ekki (If I Won't Sleep Tonight, 2001) (in collaboration with harpist Monika Abendroth)
- Ljósin heima (The Lights at Home, 2003) (with Monika Abendroth and Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Diddú))
- Allt fyrir ástina (All in the Name of Love, 2007)
- Silfursafnið (The Silver Collection, 2008)
- Páll Óskar - Box (6 plötur fyrir 1) (compilation, six albums in one, 2014)
- Kristalsplatan (2017)
Singles
- "Minn hinsti dans" (My Final Dance, 1997) (Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest 1997 entry)[1]
- "Allt fyrir ástina" (All in the Name of Love, 2007)
- "International" (2007)
- "Betra Lif" (2007)
- "Er þetta ást?" (2008)
- "Þú komst við hjartað í mér" (2008)
- "Sama hvar þú ert" (2008)
- "Gordjöss á esperantó" (in Esperanto, 2010)
- "La Dolce Vita" (2011)
- "Ást sem endist" (2015)
See also
Notes
- family name; he should be addressed by his first names, "Páll Óskar".
- ^ Paul Oscar's siblings are Ásdís (born 21 August 1954), Sigrún (Diddú) (born 8 August 1955), Lucinda Margrét (born 7 June 1957), Matthías Bogi (born 25 May 1959), Johanna Steinunn (born 19 February 1962) and Arnar Gunnar (born 11 February 1964): "Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir". Barnaskoli Vestmannaeyja. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007..
- ^ "Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir". Barnaskoli Vestmannaeyja. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- ^ Inga Rós Gunnarsdóttir; Eva Maria Jónsdóttir. "Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson". Barnaskoli Vestmannaeyja. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Richard Ammon (2003). "Pall Oskar, musician". Global Gayz.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Matt Koymasky; Andrej Koymasky (25 August 2004). "Páll Óskar". Matt & Andrej Koymasky Home. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ a b Bart Cameron (5 August 2005). "Why the Gay Pride Festival isn't for Páll Óskar". Grapevine: Reykjavik's English Language Newspaper. Archived from the original on 17 November 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- ^ a b c "Páll Óskar". Tónlist.com. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest : Iceland 1997 Paul Oscar Minn Hinsti Dans". ESC History [The Eurovision Song Contest History]. 2002. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- ^ Wim Van Hooste (6 October 2007). "Popp i Reykjavik aka Pop in Reykjavik (1998) – movie review". I Love Icelandic Music. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- ^ Helgason, Stígur (1 February 2018). "Rocky Horror tvöfaldaði forsölumet Mamma Mia" (in Icelandic). RÚV.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- ^ "Icelandic Icon Makes Anti-Semitic Remarks Regarding Eurovision, Takes It Back And Apologises". 6 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
References
- Ammon, Richard (2003). "Pall Oskar, musician". Global Gayz.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- Koymasky, Matt; Andrej Koymasky (25 August 2004). "Páll Óskar". Matt & Andrej Koymasky Home. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- Paul Oscar (Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson) at IMDb. Retrieved on 1 November 2007.
- "Páll Óskar". Tónlist.com. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
Further reading
- "Briefly about history of Icelandic music". Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Archived from the original on 30 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- D'Entremont, Jim (December 2006). "'Hidden folk' no longer". The Guide. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
External links
- Paul Oscar (Páll Óskar) at MySpace Music
- Paul Oscar at KDJ Eurodance Ltd. – The Eurodance Encyclopædia
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