Dag Frøland - King of Comedy


Dag Frøland (September 16, 1945 – January 26, 2010) was a Norwegian comedian, revue artist and singer, who was best known for his countless impersonations and variety shows in Oslo during the 1970s and 1980s.
Frøland was born in Volda, but grew up in Fredrikstad, living with his grandfather after his parents' divorce. During his childhood he also lived for some time in Aurdal and Oslo. His radio debut happened in 1952 at the age of seven, and four years later he released his first record. During his early teens he became an active writer, and at the age of 14 began writing for Aftenposten. After finishing school he began studying medicine, but soon dropped out to focus on a career in entertainment.
 
In the early 70s he became the director of theatre Chat Noir in Oslo, and soon became a known face to the audiences, with his countless, spot-on impersonations of Norwegian celebrities and comic musical numbers, and in 1979, he began a decade-long run of annual revues on Chat Noir, drawing full houses on every show. In 1987, Frøland suddenly withdrew from the spotlight, due to stress and being overworked. In later interviews he described himself as having a complete physical and mental breakdown at the point, being completely burned out..

 

After his withdrawal, Frøland disappeared completely from the spotlight for almost twenty years. He came to the surface again in 1966 with blue beard and a bunch of new songs. The result was the exceptional album
Fra den Vakre til den Vise.

In 2005, he was honoured with The King's Medal of Merit in Gold, but he refused to accept it as he felt that "rating humans in such a way was wrong".  The same year a DVD compilation of his best known numbers was released. The year after he once again entered the stage after a nineteen year absence, doing local shows in Ullensaker and his hometown of Fredrikstad.
 
On January 26, 2010, Frøland died in his home on the famed Bygdøy allé in Oslo, aged 64.  


TVA 1034
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