Morten Omeled was 62 years old and was found dead at his home in Notodden on Friday.
– It was very sad to hear, says NRK artist and blues expert Knut Reersrud.
He calls Omlid the backbone of traditional blues music in Norway.
He has played with such celebrities as Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Big Jack Johnson, Lizzy Lister, Roy Gaines, Alan Haynes, Knut Ryrsrud, the Notodden Blues Band, Knut Bowen and Erik Andersen.
Morten Omeled won the Blues Award in 2007.
A concert was supposed to be held to release a new album
Morten Omlid was a member of the band Spoonful of Blues, which released its new album, “Songs from Notodden Norway” on Friday.
The band was supposed to perform a concert at Stopp Pressen in Oslo on Saturday.
Knut Ryrsrud says Omlid inspired several generations of Norwegian blues musicians.
– He was in many ways the “saddest” of all the blues people in this country, says Reersrud..
Knut Rysrud pays tribute to Ömlid as a blues guitarist and says he has inspired generations of Norwegian blues musicians.
Photo: News Player
Morten Omeled was a traditional blues guitarist and maintained the tradition throughout his career.
– He was the most consistent in this matter, says Knut Reyersrud.
– It will be a void for many
Justin Forsberg is the leader of the Notodden Bluesfestival, and also played on “Spoonful of blues” with Omlid.
He has been given the task of speaking on behalf of the family.
Forsberg has known Omeled since his childhood days in Notodden, and has lost his closest friend.
– It was a shock. I’m absolutely devastated, like all of us in the music community who were close to Morten.
Morten Omlid and Justin Forsberg were close friends, and Forsberg says Omlid became of enormous importance in the future.
Photo: Roald Marker/NRK
Forsberg says there will now be a void for many, not least in Notodden.
Omlid had been a prominent blues musician in Norway for over 40 years and was keen to train new musicians.
Omlid was a music teacher at the Cultural School, and at the university studying blues, taught guitar at home, and worked in the studio with young musicians.
– It has become of great importance in the coming years.
Forsberg says yesterday should have been a day of joy. They had to release a new record and start a new tour. We’re already getting messages from radio stations abroad saying they’re playing the album.
-It was a love for what we were doing. He was the driving force and the wheel.
Morten Omelde with James “Super Chican” Johnson at the opening concert at the Notodden Blues Festival in 2009.
Photo: Per Ole Hagen, NRK
– He was one of the rare ones
For more than 20 years, Morten Ömlid has been the permanent guitarist for Damers i Blues, Margit Bakken and Rita Engedalen.
Engedalen has also collaborated with Omlid on all seven of their albums, and they have traveled together to concerts for many years in Norway and abroad.
– It was a shock and very bad news. Warm thoughts are sent to De Morton’s immediate family. We lost a good friend, a good musician and a good guitar player.
She says Omlide was very knowledgeable and a great source of inspiration.
Botha was lost in the blues environment and the music environment, she says.
-He was a true musician, one of the rare ones. He was a musician who always said music was important.
Morten Omlid and Rita Engedalen played together for 30 years.
Image: private
“Infuriatingly humble web fan. Writer. Alcohol geek. Passionate explorer. Evil problem solver. Incurable zombie expert.”
