Ville Valo

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ville Valo

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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ville Hermanni Valo
Alias = Don Vittu [Slessor, D, "Random Question Generator", pg 44. "Kerrang!", 21 May 2008] , Valo, Rakohammas
Born = birth_date_and_age|1976|11|22|df=y Helsinki, Finland
Died =
Origin = Finland
Instrument = Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano
Genre = Alternative Rock, Gothic Rock, Love Metal
Occupation = Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Years_active = 1991 - Present
Label = Warner Brothers, Sire Records, Warner Music Group, Helsinki Music Company
Associated_acts = HIM Daniel Lioneye
URL = [http://www.heartagram.com/ Official website]

Ville Hermanni Valo (Audio|Fi-Ville_Valo.ogg|pronunciation) (born 22 November 1976), is a Finnish singer, songwriter, and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM, who have released six studio albums and four compilation albums. They became the first Finnish rock band to achieve a gold record in the United States. Valo was also the drummer for the Daniel Lioneye project. which featured their guitarist Linde Lindstrom on vocals. Valo is friends with American actor/pro-skateboarder Bam Margera, and HIM's music has been featured in Margera's projects. (e.g CKY, Haggard) Valo is a vegetarian and also a chain smoker. He currently resides in his 3 story tower in the Munkkiniemi District of Helsinki.

Early life

Ville Hermanni Valo was born in a small wooden house in a district of Helsinki, Finland called Vallila. His father, Kari, is Finnish and his mother is of Hungarian descent named Anita. [http://www.heartagram.org/band/villevalo.php] . "Heartagram.org". Retrieved 21 November 2007.] Soon after his birth, the family moved to the riverside community of Oulunkylä, where they lived throughout his teenage years. In his late teens, he worked at his father's sex shop ["Kerrang!" magazine - June 2008] and later moved out on his own when he was 18. As a child, Valo was influenced by his music-loving parents who exposed him to the songs of popular Finnish performers such as Tapio Rautavaara and Rauli Badding Somerjoki, while an older cousin introduced him to the heavier sounds of bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Valo's first musical step was at a birthday party only at three years old Valo picked up a set of bongo drums, and started to play.

Movies and TV

Ville is close friends with Jackass and Viva La Bam star Bam Margera, and shares many of his tattoos. Valo provides the voice of Moto the hippo in the Finnish version of Madagascar [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fi&u=http://www.hs.fi/viihde/artikkeli/Ville%2BValo%2B%25C3%25A4%25C3%25A4nin%25C3%25A4yttelij%25C3%25A4ksi%2BMadagascar-filmiin/1135239957758%3Fref%3Drss&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmadagascar%2B2%2Bville%2Bvalo%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DmbH] .

HIM and other side projects

:"Main articles: HIM (Finnish band) and HIM discography"
* "Skreppers & Ville Valo (1995)
* "Apocalyptica & Ville Valo (1996)
* "The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo (1997)
* "Tehosekoitin & Ville Valo (1999)
* "The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo (1999)
* "Neljä Ruusua & HIM (1999)
* "Agents & Ville Valo - Paratiisi, Jykevää On Rakkaus, Ikkunaprinsessa, Valo Yössä (Tuomari Nurmio Cover) (1999)
* "Tributti Tuomari Nurmio: Ville Valo & Others (2000)
* "The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo (2000)
* "Musta Paraati, Ville Valo, Gas Lipstick & Others (2001)
* "Daniel Lioneye And The Rollers/Daniel Lioneye And The Blues Explosion (2001)
* "The 69 Eyes & Thulsa Doom (2001)
* "Five Fifteen & Ville Valo - The Prostitute & Season Of The Witch (2001)
* "The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo (2002)
* "The Skreppers, Ville Valo, Migé Amour & Lily Lazer (2002)
* "The Mission & Ville Valo (2002)
* "Lowemotor Corporation & Ville Valo - Love Me (2003/2004)
* "The Skreppers & Ville Valo (2004)
* "The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo - Beneath the Blue (2004)
* "Apocalyptica feat. Ville Valo & Lauri Ylönen - Bittersweet (2004) (FIN: #1, D: #6)
* "Two Witches & Ville Valo - Dracula Rising (2005)
* "Bloodhound Gang feat. Ville Valo - Something Diabolical (2005)
* "Isabelle´s Gift feat. Ville Valo - If I Die Tonight (2006)
* "Cradle of Filth feat. Ville Valo - The Byronic Man (2006)
* "Ville Valo & Tommi Viksten - Kun Minä Kotoani Läksin (2006)
* "Kari Tapio & Ville Valo - Täällä Pohjantähden Alla (2006)
* "Ville Valo & Natalia Avelon - Summer Wine (2007) (FIN: #1, D: #2, AU: #4, CH: #2, GR: #1)
* "Ville Valo & Mariam "Manna" Jäntti - Just for Tonight (2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.heartagram.com Official website] of HIM
* [http://www.himonline.tv UK HIM website] of HIM
* [http://www.nndb.com/people/266/000030176 Ville Valo] at Notable Names Database
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1204517 Ville Valo] at Internet Movie Database
* [http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Ville+Valo+of+HIM/ Ville Valo interview on SuicideGirls 2007]