MAGNE FURUHOLMEN Biography b. 1962 Biography a-ha Random Trivia & Chart Positions Search Site a-ha signed items at ebay.co.uk (direct link to signed items) From early childhood he was interested in music. This was probably his father's influence as he played trumpet in Bent Solve's Orchestra. Tragically when Mags was only five years old the aiplane carrying his father's band crashed over Drammen, a town south of Oslo, and Kåre Furuholmen was killed. Magne had a fairly normal and happy upbringing and shares a close relationship with his mother. When Mags was 10 years old he met Pal Waaktaar. They immediately became friends and through their mutual ability and love of music they friendship became strong. Mags has been quoted as saying that Pal is his best friend and that he relies on Pal to help him to pull his ideas together - Mags has a strong admiration for Pal's musical talent. When Mags was fifteen the family moved to Asker, near Oslo. This was a more upmarket area and Mags with his long hair, hippyish ways and bohemian attitude found his new home a little hard to come to terms with. He didn't fit in with what was regarded as the "norm" but of the three members of the band Mags enjoyed school at Askers Young Peoples University, playing soccer and also in the school band. Øystein and Viggo did not share Pal and Magne's passion and drive to extend themselves musically abroad. Magne and Pal felt that to really make it they had to conquer the British music scene, which would not be easy for two young Norwegian men. They set off to London with 10,000 kroner and a pocket full of dreams. (For the story of a-ha see band biography). Over the years Mags himself has written a few songs for the band with varying success. Maybe, Maybe on Scoundrel Days was a crap song when it was written and, er, remains crap (anyone remember the classically awful line: ...maybe it was over when you chucked me out the rover at full speed...?)! Sometimes The Way We Talk on East of the Sun, West of the Moon is just okay but by the 2001 release of Minor Earth, Major Sky the lyrics & music to the track I Wish I Cared are beautifully poetic. However, his strongest work can be found in his collaborations with Pal whose work though not always of the highest quality nonetheless possesses a musical sensibility far more refined than Mag's . When the band first split in the early 90s Magne immersed himself in modern art and became quite successful especially in his native Norway. His first exhibition was in fact in 1989 whilst in his last days of teeny bop worship! Since then he has painted and created work in many different mediums & his work has been exhibited world wide. Magne is married to Heidi. They have been together for over twenty years and married in August of 1992. They have two sons, Thomas Vincent born in April 1990 and Fellip August born in October 1993. Moreover, he played the clavichord on Savoy's album Mountains of Time (track 6: Bottomless Pit). Also, he recently recorded and released his first solo single Dragonfly - a haunting fragile ballad following the release of the film Øyenstikker directed by Marius Holst. Buy: buy: buy: buy: buy: buy: buy: buy: a-ha - minor earth major sky. a-ha - shop morten harket signed items at ebay.co.uk (direct link to signed items) a-ha Random Trivia & Chart Positions Search Site Top of Page |
After a while Annelise married again and this marriage gave Magne a half sister, Line and two half brothers Thorstien and Trygve. 
In the mid seventies Mags and Pal joined with Øystein Jevanord and Viggo Bondi the product of this was the band Bridges. This was a fairly serious adventure and produced two albums - though financed and produced by Bridges themselves it showed that even then what serious musicians they were or intended to be. 
Musically, he teamed up with Kjetil Bjerkestrand to write the score for the film Ti kniver i hjertet. Furuholmen and Bjerkestrand formed Timbersound and still work together today. They recorded the album Hotel Oslo in 1998 this was the soundtrack for a Norwegian television series of the same name. On this album Annelli Drecker, who toured with a-ha (2000-2001), is featured on a stunning track called We'll Never Speak Again. 
