Bye, Erik (1926 - 2004)

Erik Erikssønn Bye (March 1, 1926 – October 13, 2004) was a versatile Norwegian-American journalist, artist, author, film actor, folk singer and radio and television personality. He was one of the 20th century's most well-known and popular radio and television figures in Norway.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Rønnaug (née Dahl) and opera singer Erik Ole Bye, his family moved home to Norway when he was six years old. After a few years in Ringerike they settled in the Nordstrand borough in Oslo, where they took over a bed and breakfast. In his teens, Bye joined the Norwegian resistance movement during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II. Following the war, he returned to the United States for his university education, studying English, journalism and drama at Midland Lutheran College, Nebraska and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. During his studies he also traveled extensively throughout the United States, taking odd jobs and gathering impressions.

In 1953, Bye took his first job as a reporter with the Associated Press and as a freelancer for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). In 1955, he moved to London and worked three years at the BBC Overseas Service as an apprentice to Anthony Martin before returning home. Bye enjoyed immense popularity with generations of Norwegians, and his songs and programs on radio and television were magnets to audiences of all ages. He was noted for his gift of being equally comfortable with the King of Norway and a random character met on the street. His roaming reports from around the world ranged from searching America for an old Apache chief to bringing an African chieftain from Ghana who answered a message in a bottle released by NRK to Norway.

Bye was well known for his support of Norwegian sailors. He also spent much time helping the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue and their cause, raising funds for a brand new rescue ship in 1960, Skomvær II, which was named after the barque Skomvær in Bye's song "Skomværvalsen." The society also named one of their rescue vessels after the artist.

In 1978 the King of Norway made him a Knight, 1st Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. In 2005 he was voted the third greatest Norwegian of the 20th century by the viewers of NRK, behind King Olav V and Einar Gerhardsen.

Bye was married to politician Tove Billington Jørgensen from 1953 until his death from cancer, which took place in Hvalstad, Asker, Norway.

Erik Erikssøn Bye (1. maaliskuuta 1926 Brooklyn, New York – 13. lokakuuta 2004) oli norjalainen toimittaja, televisiojuontaja, laulaja ja runoilija.

Bye syntyi Yhdysvaltojen Brooklynissä, jossa hänen isänsä Erik Ole Bye työskenteli oopperalaulajana. Byen ollessa kuusivuotias perhe muutti laman ja isän masennuksen vuoksi takaisin Norjaan. Toisen maailmansodan aikana hän osallistui vastarintatoimintaan mutta joutui lopulta pakenemaan Ruotsiin, jossa hän sai poliisikoulutuksen. Sodan jälkeen hän palasi Norjaan, kirjoitti ylioppilaaksi ja palveli kuninkaallisessa kaartissa kersanttina. Stipendin avulla Bye opiskeli Master of Arts -tutkinnon Wisconsinin yliopistossa. Tämän jälkeen hän työskenteli Oslossa ensin uutistoimisto AP:lle ja sitten BBC:lle, minkä jälkeen hän siirtyi NRK:lle.

Byestä tuli suosittu viihdyttäjä, ja erityisesti hänet tunnettiin merenkulkuaiheisista ohjelmistaan. Vuonna 1960 hän järjesti kampanjan, jolla rahoitettiin uuden meripelastusaluksen hankinta Redningsselskapet-meripelastusyhdistykselle. Televisioon siirryttyään hän teki ulkomaanraportteja muun muassa sota-alueilta. Hän myös kirjoitti runokokoelmia, elämäkertoja, matkakertomuksia sekä esseitä ja levytti lauluja.

Vuonna 2005 Bye tuli NRK:n järjestämässä Vuosisadan norjalainen -äänestyksessä kolmannelle sijalle.

Erik Erikssøn Bye (1. mars 1926–13. oktober 2004) var ein norsk songar, journalist og programleiar i fjernsyn.

Erik Bye vart karakterisert som ein høvding i norsk kulturliv, og var involvert i fleire av dei tidlegaste fjernsynsprogramma i NRK. I samarbeid med Willy Andresen skreiv han ei rad melodiar.

Erik Bye vekte stor oppsikt då han lét ei gruppe psykisk utviklingshemma barn og ungdommar opptre med Folk og røvarere i Kardemomme by på norsk fjernsyn, noko som aldri var gjort tidlegare. Han mottok i ettertid eit brev der ei mor med eit eige psykisk utviklingshemma barn takka han fordi han framstilte dei på ein verdig måte. Han gjorde ein stor innsats for Redningsselskapet gjennom store delar av livet sitt, og fekk nokre år før han døydde honnør for dette langvarige arbeidet ved å oppleve at ei redningsskøyte vart oppkalla etter seg.

Han hadde Master of Arts i faga engelsk, journalistikk og dramaturgi frå University of Wisconsin (1953). Han var journalist i Associated Press (1953-1955), BBC si norske avdeling (1955-1958), og sidan i NRK.

Bye var fødd i Brooklyn i New York i USA. Han var son av Rønnaug Dahl og operasongaren Erik Ole Bye. Han var seinare gift med Tove Bye og busett i Asker.

Dokumentarfilmen Giganten (2005) skildrar Byes tre siste leveår og den siste offentlege opptredenen hans.

Erik Erikssøn Bye född 1 mars 1926 i Brooklyn, New York, USA, död 13 oktober 2004, var en norsk tevepersonlighet, sångare och journalist. Han var bosatt i Asker.