Thomas Helmig

Thomas Helmig (born 15 October 1964) is a Danish rock singer and musician, and has been one of the most popular singers in Denmark since the middle of the 1980s. Thomas Helmig was born and grew up in Egå, a suburb of Aarhus, where his father was a doctor. His parents divorced when he was quite young. To escape from the feelings associated with his parents' divorce, Thomas took refuge in music, most notably he spent much time teaching himself to play the piano. At the age of 10, inspired by the Danish Band Gasolin, popular in the 70's, Thomas formed his first band and named it Heavy Oil. The following years he also learned to play the guitar and drums.

He entered the gymnasium but, with his parents' approval, he left during the first year to pursue his musical interests. To this end, he went to the United States as a high school exchange student. It was here that he first discovered Motown, playing with local soul musicians in Detroit.

Upon his return to Denmark in 1981, he joined an Aarhus-band called Kaksi Kuggas Band, with which he gigged in a number of local venues. He had become part of the rather narrow local music scene. By 1983 he became the lead singer for a band called Elevatordrengene (The Elevator Boys). They enjoyed a measure of success, touring the country for the next two years.