Morten Harket :: Biography

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Swing of Things

Biography

Early Life a-ha Career Solo Work Recent Years Collection

Early Life & Background

Morten Harket was born on September 14th, 1959, in Kongsberg, Norway. The son of Reidar, a chief physician at a hospital, and Henny, an economics teacher, Morten grew up in Asker in southern Norway with his siblings Gunvald, Håkon, Ingunn, and Kjetil.

As a child, Morten was influenced by classical music. His father had contemplated becoming a classical pianist, and Morten also took piano lessons. At the age of 4, he started writing music and playing piano.

He later discovered rock music when he heard bands like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Johnny Cash, Simon and Garfunkel, David Bowie, and James Brown. By the age of 16, Harket had formed Soldier Blue (originally Souldier Blue), among other bands, and appeared on the Oslo club scene.

a-ha and International Success

By 1981, Harket had run into Paul Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen. The trio formed a-ha on September 14, 1982 (Morten's birthday), and left Norway for London to make a career in the music business.

Harket's voice attracted the attention of the former Bridges members, who made him the lead singer of a-ha. After their first hit Take On Me took off in 1985, reaching number one in the US, the band became one of the best-selling bands of the 80s.

The single's international success, accompanied by its innovative animated music video directed by Steve Barron, helped a-ha's debut album Hunting High and Low sell over 10 million copies worldwide. Their second studio album was Scoundrel Days, followed by Stay on These Roads and East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Solo Career

After the band split in the early 90s following the release of Memorial Beach and a single Shapes That Go Together, Harket embarked on a solo career.

His first Norwegian-language solo album, Poetenes Evangelium, was released in 1993, featuring lyrics written by Norwegian post-war authors.

Wild Seed was released in 1995 and became his most successful English-speaking solo album. It became the most successful album of the year in Norway, selling over 200,000 copies. A beautifully crafted album, Harket worked with the Norwegian poet Håvard Rem, creating much of the music and contributing to the lyrics - something he rarely did with a-ha.

The finished piece was a work of art and could claim to be one of the best album releases of the 90s. For the most part, the lyrics and music fitted together naturally with Harket's voice capturing every flicker of emotion from the songs - musical poetry at its finest.

Outside Norway, the album fared less well due to poor promotion by Warner's record company. In the UK, there was little radio play, the video for A Kind of Christmas Card rarely made it onto TV screens, and in-depth reviews were hard to find.

The second Norwegian-language album, Vogts Villa, was released in 1996 but sold poorly in Norway (less than 20,000 copies) and achieved only a number 21 position at its highest in the Norwegian charts.

Harket also recorded a single, Heaven's Not For Saints, which he performed at the Eurovision Song Contest when acting as a compere in the late 90s.

a-ha Reunions and Recent Years

The year 2000 saw Harket reform with a-ha, releasing the single Summer Moved On and album Minor Earth - Major Sky. The band returned to UK shores for sell-out gigs at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London and Wembley Arena.

In September 2000, the boyband A-1 reached #1 in the UK charts with their cover of the a-ha classic Take on Me, generating a resurgence in the band's back catalogue.

In 2012, Morten Harket was named a Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success.

a-ha temporarily disbanded in 2010 after they played their 'last' gig in Oslo, but reunited again in 2015. As of 2024, a-ha has released 11 studio albums, including Cast in Steel (2015), MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice (2017), and True North (2022).

In 2024, Harket appeared on stage with Coldplay at Glastonbury Festival, playing guitar on "Humankind" and "Fix You".

Personal Life and Health

Marital Status: Morten was married to Swedish actress Camilla Malmquist from February 11th, 1989 to May 1998 (divorced). He later lived with Anne Mette Undlien and currently lives with Inez Andersson.

Children: Morten has five children: Jacob Oscar Martinius (May 14th, 1989), Jonathan (December 30th, 1990), Tomine (April 14th, 1993), Karmen Poppy (September 7th, 2008), and he is also a grandfather.

In 2025, Harket revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He underwent advanced brain surgery at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, with deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures performed in June 2024 (left side) and December 2024 (right side).

According to Harket: "I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works'."

While the condition has affected his voice and energy levels, Harket maintains a positive attitude and continues to work on new music. He states: "I was always meant to do different things, but I've ended up with a fairly permanent position as singer in a band."

Interests: Harket's hobbies include drawing, painting, music, and cars. Along with band member Magne Furuholmen, he is a supporter of Stoke City, an English football team. While maintaining his home in Norway, he also holds residence in London.

Now 66, Morten Harket continues to be remembered as one of the most distinctive voices in pop music history, with a-ha's legacy spanning over 40 years since "Take On Me" became a worldwide phenomenon.