Odd Wannebo

March 11. 1932 - July 16. 2016, Namsos, Norway. Born into the working class of a small town and working as a baker, he moved in the mid 50s to Oslo for a career in graphic design. His passion, though, was music, from the spirituals and gospel music of his childhood’s chapels and Salvation Army, where his mother was a passionate member. This was discovered by Oslo’s music scene, where he frequently attended with his remarkable bass voice. Kirsten Flagstad, the great opera singer, saw to that he became a solist at Den Norske Opera, after funding his education in Vienna. From there his career took him to the great international stages, while from 1963 finding himself at home mainly in the U.S.A and Canada, until settling down in Los Angeles, still performing within the opera scene. Here he would also pick up his roots in gospel and spirituals, performing and recording albums on vinyl and CD. At the end of his life he moved back to Namsos, Norway, where he passed away at the age of 84.