Morten Omlid was 62 years old, and was found dead at home in Notodden on Friday. – This was very sad to hear, says artist and news’s blues expert Knut Reiersrud. He calls Omlid the backbone of the traditional blues in Norway. He has played with famous people such as Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Big Jack Johnson, Lazy Lester, Roy Gaines, Alan Haynes, Knut Reiersrud, Notodden Blues Band, Knut Buen and Eric Andersen. Morten Omlid received the Blues Prize in 2007. Should have released concert for new album Morten Omlid was part of the band “Spoonful of Blues”, which released its new album “Songs from Notodden Norway” on Friday. The band was supposed to play a release concert at Stopp Pressen in Oslo on Saturday. Knut Reiersrud says that Omlid has inspired several generations of Norwegian blues musicians. – He was in many ways the most “bluesy” of all blues people in this country, says Reiersrud. Knut Reiersrud pays tribute to Omlid as a blues guitarist and says he inspired generations of Norwegian blues musicians. Photo: Newscaster Morten Omlid was a traditional blues guitarist and kept to the tradition throughout his career. – He was the one who was most consistent about this, says Knut Reiersrud. – Will be a void for many Jostein Forsberg is leader of Notodden Bluesfestival, and also played in “Spoonful of blues” with Omlid. He has been given the task of speaking on behalf of the family. Forsberg has known Omlid ever since his boyhood days at Notodden, and has lost his closest friend. – It was a shock. I am completely devastated – as are all of us in the music community who were close to Morten. Morten Omlid and Jostein Forsberg were close friends, and Forsberg says Omlid had come to have enormous importance in the future. Photo: Roald Marker / news Forsberg says there will now be a void for so many, not least at Notodden. Omlid has been a prominent blues musician in Norway for over 40 years and was keen to train new musicians. Omlid has been a music teacher at the cultural school, at the blues study at the university, has taught guitar at home, and worked in the studio with young musicians. – He had come to have enormous importance in the years ahead. Forsberg says yesterday should have been a day of joy. They were to launch a new record and start a new tour. Already messages are coming in from radio stations abroad that they are playing the album. – It was a love for what we were doing. He was a driving force and the wheel. Morten Omlid together with James “Super Chikan” Johnson at the opening concert at the Notodden Blues Festival in 2009. Photo: Per Ole Hagen, news – He was one of the rare Morten Omlid was for over 20 years the regular guitarist for “Damers i Blues”, Margit Bakken and Rita Engedalen. Engedalen also collaborated with Omlid on all seven of their albums, and they traveled to concerts together for many years both in Norway and abroad. – It was a shock and terribly bad news to receive. Warm thoughts are sent to de Morten’s immediate family. We have lost both a good friend, a good musician and a good guitarist. She says Omlid was knowledgeable and a great source of inspiration. The blues milieu and the music milieu have lost a bouta, she says. – He was a real musician, one of the rare ones. He was a musician who always said that music is important. Morten Omlid and Rita Engedalen played together for 30 years. Photo: private
ttn-69
Blues guitarist Morten Omlid is dead – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
