Eik Skaløe

Danish musician. Born Eik Bjarne Sørensen, May 28th, 1943 in the working class district of north-west Copenhagen, where he also grew up. In the years 1962-63 he was politically active in the campaign against nuclear weapons and as the editor of a magazine called “Alternativ”. However, he abandoned the political life in favour of the travelling and drug experimenting life of the beatnik, which eventually led to drug abuse and a prison sentence for breaking into a pharmacy. Through the 1960’s he dated Iben Nagel Rasmussen, the daughter of Halfdan Rasmussen, who published the book “Breve til en veninde” in 1993, based on letters written to her by Eik Skaløe on his journeys. In 1966 Skaløe founded the Danish cult band Steppeulvene together with Stig Møller, as the vocalist and writer of the band’s lyrics. In 1967, he left Denmark to go to Afghanistan and Nepal. His intention was, that the band should continue to play using his lyrics without him participating directly. In October 1968, Skaløe was found dead from suicide outside the Indian town of Ferozepore, near the Pakistani border. He left a note saying “For the officials: As I guess you know - this suicide is decided & carried out by myself. Noone is to blame, except the cruel person inside me. Forgive me, Eik Skaløe.” In the Copenhagen district of Christianshavn, a street, Eik Skaløes Plads, is named in honour of Skaløe.