Tapio Rautavaara

The multitalented Tapio Rautavaara (March 8, 1915 - September 25, 1979) of Finland was successful and famous as an athlete, performing artist and actor. His mellow, sentimental recordings are still popular today. His version of the Johnny Cash mainstay I Walk the Line, given the title Yölinjalla (and transformed into a song about a long haul truck-driver), is one of the most frequently played songs on Finnish night-time radio. Another perennial favorite is his recording of the Reino Helismaa's song Päivänsäde ja Menninkäinen (about a sprite of daylight and a nocturnal troll, and their doomed romance). He won the gold medal in the javelin at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and many other top placements in international javelin competitions. He was also a member of the Finnish winning team in the archery World Championships of 1958. Rautavaara acted in numerous Finnish films, and was also supposedly a candidate for the part of Tarzan after Johnny Weissmuller quit his career. His memorial is located in the centre of Helsinki's Oulunkylä district, where Rautavaara spent most of his life. Rautavaara's most renowned recordings * Päivänsäde ja menninkäinen, 1949/1965 * Reissumies ja kissa, 1949 * Kulkuri ja joutsen, 1950 * Isoisän olkihattu, 1951/1964 * Ontuva Eriksson, 1951 * Sininen uni, 1952 * Juokse sinä humma, 1953 * Kulkuriveljeni Jan, 1956 * Yölinjalla, 1962 * Tuopin jäljet, 1963 * En päivääkään vaihtaisi pois, 1979