Born in Turku on December 17, 1946, Pepe Willberg is a beloved Finnish singer and composer. He spent his early childhood in Turku before moving to Helsinki at the age of nine. He began his musical career in the early 1960s as a rhythm guitarist for The Islanders and later served as the lead vocalist for bands such as Jormas and Pepe & Paradise, as well as establishing himself as a solo artist. Additionally, Willberg has been part of ensembles like Mestarit and Pop Tenorit and has performed as a soloist with numerous military bands and city orchestras.
Willberg's 2014 collaboration album with the band Saimaa is considered one of the domestic milestones of this millennium. The album reached gold status in 2014. The following year, Willberg was honored at the Emma Gala as Male Artist of the Year, while the Pepe & Saimaa album won Rock Album of the Year and the Critics' Choice award. The artist has also been granted the Iskelmä-Finlandia award, the Turun Tähti (Star of Turku) recognition, and the Pro Finlandia medal.
The artist's most recent LP (2024) is a re-imagining of two Finnish music classics, Niin vähän on aikaa – En soisi sen päättyvän, created with Jukka Eskola Statement. The double vinyl is a tribute to the music composed and produced by Henrik Otto Donner, which has been a significant part of Finnish music history.
Willberg is known for his powerful interpretations, flexible tenor voice, extensive repertoire, and numerous evergreens such as Saat miehen kyyneliin, Aamu, Elämältä kaiken sain, Rööperiin, Sinua, sinua rakastan, Kuka kertoisi minulle, and Tällä kadulla. In a career spanning an impressive seven consecutive decades, Willberg has performed rock, pop, jazz, schlager, and many other genres.
In addition to his own songs, Willberg has composed music for other artists. His compositions include, for example, Finland's 1988 Eurovision entry Nauravat silmät muistetaan, Paula Koivuniemi's Hetken maistoin elämää and Näen huomisen, as well as Joel Hallikainen's Hyvästi voi sanoa vain kerran. In the spring of 2017, Willberg competed in the Dancing with the Stars (Tanssii tähtien kanssa) program. In 2018, he delivered stunning interpretations on the Vain elämää show, and he has charmed audiences on the Elämäni biisi TV show since its inception for several seasons.
Two biographies have been written about him:
Pepe Willberg – Kai vielä muistat sen by Georg Lindström (Read me, 2012) and
Pepe Willberg – Muuttuvat tiet by Sauli Miettinen (Otava, 2022).
A documentary film, Pepe, premiered in 2024.
"I am excited that during my anniversary year, I can perform my diverse repertoire from over the years with top musicians and at various events. I am also grateful that my singing voice is still working well and that I have the stamina for demanding concerts. Positive feedback from the audience gives me an enormous amount of energy," says Pepe Willberg.
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