Lillebjørn Nilsen

Lillebjørn Falk Nilsen (born Bjørn Falk Nilsen; 21 December 1950 – 27 January 2024) was a Norwegian singer-songwriter and folk musician. He was considered by many to be a leading "voice of Oslo", alongside Ole Paus, thanks to numerous classic songs about the city from the 1970s and onwards.

Life and career Bjørn Nilsen was born in Oslo and became known as "Lillebjørn" in the late 1960s when he and his namesake Bjørn Morisse performed as the folk duo The Young Norwegians. Because Morisse was the taller of the duo, he was nicknamed "Storebjørn" (Big Bjørn) while Nilsen was "Lillebjørn" (Little Bjørn), a stage name he kept throughout his career.

Nilsen was also a member of the Norwegian supergroup Gitarkameratene with Jan Eggum, Halvdan Sivertsen and Øystein Sunde.

In 1987 he received the Fritt Ord Honorary Award.

Nilsen collaborated with his friend and idol Pete Seeger on numerous occasions. He adapted Pete Seeger's song My Rainbow Race into Norwegian as Barn av regnbuen ("Children of the Rainbow").

Nilsen died in Oslo on 27 January 2024, at the age of 73.

Discography

Albums with The Young Norwegians 1967: Things on Our Mind 1969: Music

with Ballade! 1978: Ballade! På turné 1980: Ballade! Ekstranummer 2005: Ballade!s samlede (compilation)

with Gitarkameratene Album 1989: Gitarkameratene 1990: Typisk norsk 2010: Kanon

Singles 1990: "Barn av regnbuen"

with Andy Irvine 2010: Abocurragh [Nilsen plays on one track.] 2021: Live in Telemark

Soloalbums 1971: Tilbake 1973: Portrett 1974: På stengrunn (with Jon Arne Corell, Kari Svendsen, Lars Klevstrand, Steinar Ofsdal & Carl Morten Iversen) 1974: Haba Haba 1975: Byen med det store hjertet 1976: Hei fara! Norske folkeviser 1978: Lillebjørn Nilsens beste 1979: Oslo 3 1980: Live at Sioux Falls (USA) 1980: Ballade! Ekstranummer 1982: Original Nilsen 1984: Lillebjørn Nilsens utvalgte 1985: Hilsen Nilsen 1986: Tekst og musikk: Lillebjørn Nilsen 1988: Sanger 1989: SuperStars 1993: Nære Nilsen 1996: 40 spor: Nilsens 40 beste 2010: Stilleste gutt på sovesal 1 2012: Postkort fra Lillebjørn

Re-released albums 1995: Haba Haba 2001: Portrett 2003: Byen med det store hjertet (Re-release) 2003: Tilbake (Re-release) 2003: Portrett (Re-release)

Compilation albums 1978: Lillebjørn Nilsens beste 1984: Lillebjørn Nilsens utvalgte 1986: Tekst og musikk: Lillebjørn Nilsen 1996: 40 spor: Nilsens 40 beste 2010: Stilleste gutt på sovesal 1 (10 CDs and a DVD)

With The Young Norwegians Album 1967: Things On Our Mind 1968* Music

Singles 1966: "Plenty Nothingness and Love" / "Det står ein friar uti garde" 1966: "Joys of Love" / "Jug of Punch" 1967: "Vuggevise for André" / "Goodbye to Your Sparkling Blue Eyes" 1968: "Nightingale" / "Grannie" with Kari Svendsen

Solo 1973: "Barn av regnbuen" / "Alle duene" 1974: "Haba Haba" / "Kirsebærtreet" 1975: "Byen med det store hjertet" / "Brevet" 1979: "Bysommer" / "Stilleste gutt på sovesal 1" 1982: "Tanta til Beate" / "Se alltid lyst på livet" 1985: "Blå odyssé" / "Sangen om Danmark" 1988: "Se deg aldri tilbake" / "Den dypeste hemmelighet" 1993: "Fort gjort å glemme" / "Så nære vi var" 1993: "1000 søte damer" 2006: "Oleanna" (with Pete Seeger) (live) 2012: "Feriebrev" (with Finn Kalvik & Øystein Sunde)