89 Facts About Juha Vainio

Juha Harri "Junnu" Vainio, known as Juha "Watt" Vainio was a Finnish lyricist, singer, composer and teacher.

Juha Vainio enjoyed a short professional career as a teacher at Kymenranta Primary School.

Juha Vainio began writing songs in the early 1960s and continued until his death.

Juha Vainio is buried in the family grave in Helsinki.

Juha Vainio was given the nickname "Watt" on account of a song on his first solo record, the 1964 Paras rautalankayhtye.

Juha Harri Vainio was born on May 10,1938, in Kotka, the first child of Tauno and Kaarina Vainio.

Juha Vainio spent much of his early childhood in Vuoksenniska, Imatra.

Kaarina Juha Vainio had a middle school education, and Tauno Juha Vainio had graduated as a trade technician.

Juha Vainio once said that he was more afraid of the women next door than the war, but on the other hand admitted that the war left him with emotional scars.

Sometimes they went to stay at her mother's cousins during the evacuations where Juha Vainio became friends with Olli Miettinen, a cousin of his mother.

The only brother of Kaarina Juha Vainio, Mauno, was killed in the war.

Juha Vainio recalled that the most beautiful years of his childhood were spent in Metsola.

Juha Vainio often spent time in the harbour of Kotka with his friends.

Juha Vainio was fond of the sea throughout his life.

Juha Vainio underwent a heart operation in early 1949 at the same time as his mother suffered an attack of tuberculosis from which she later recovered.

Juha Vainio was at first kept in the adults' ward due to the serious nature of the operation, but later transferred to the children's ward to recover.

Juha Vainio soon went home and began to get better.

Vaino's music teacher at the gymnasium, Arvo Juha Vainio, was nicknamed "Junnu" on account of his big nose resembling that of a comic book character of the same name.

When he was fifteen, Juha Vainio felt sure he would become a writer.

Juha Vainio considered quitting school, but the principal persuaded him to change his mind.

Juha Vainio was transferred to another school and was later joined there by his friend Risto Warjus.

Around 1957 Juha Vainio's family moved from the centre of Kotka to near the harbour.

From childhood, Juha Vainio practiced sport even though before surgery he had suffered from heart problems.

Juha Vainio liked football and basketball, which were very popular in Kotka and practiced high jump together with Tiso Warjus.

Juha Vainio became interested in music and started socializing with musicians in the mid-1950s.

Juha Vainio recalled that his friends remembered him as being always penniless.

Juha Vainio started drinking more and more, often asking his friends for a drink.

In late 1956 Juha Vainio lived next door to one of his musician friends, Heikki Kauppinen, who was three years his senior.

The friends had different tastes in music with Olli Miettinen and Reijo "Rempo" Tani listening to jazz, while Juha Vainio liked schlager music.

Juha Vainio later named and described many of his friends in his song lyrics.

Juha Vainio was called up in 1957 for service in the Finnish army.

Juha Vainio was 19 years old and in the penultimate grade of gymnasium.

Juha Vainio was supposed to pass his matriculation exams in the spring of 1959, but he failed the Swedish exam and had to wait until the autumn to pass it.

In Fennia, Juha Vainio met his future wife Taina Kaukonen.

When Taina became pregnant in early 1960, Juha Vainio's parents scolded the young father.

Juha Vainio studied at the Yhteiskunnallinen korkeakoulu and later the Opettajakorkeakoulu where he graduated as a school teacher.

Juha Vainio taught higher classes at Ylapaa Primary School where the pupils informally called him "Junnu".

Juha Vainio's teaching methods were relaxed, such as making the pupils sing a children's song instead of a hymn in the morning.

Already having some reputation as a lyricist, whilst in the army Juha Vainio was assigned to write the lyrics for the new cadence of the Karelia Brigade.

Juha Vainio finished his military service in the autumn of 1964, at the age of 26.

Juha Vainio started writing lyrics for friends' bands, and his texts brought him some fame.

Juha Vainio was above all a lyricist; he wrote lyrics or music for over 2,400 published songs, the majority of which were recorded by others.

Many of Juha Vainio's lyrics were written for Toivo Karki's compositions.

Juha Vainio translated popular foreign songs into Finnish, work that he later abandoned since translators only received a fixed payment for their work rather than royalties.

Eager to leave his job as a teacher, Juha Vainio quit and started collaborating with musician Reino Markkula.

Juha Vainio worked at Fazer Music as a lyricist with monthly salary and at the same time wrote his own songs.

Juha Vainio translated several international hits into Finnish, including Piilopaikka by Danny and Nyt meni hermot, which became the breakthrough recording of pop group "The First".

Juha Vainio was often late for arranged studio sessions, which irritated the bands and the company's management.

At 30, Juha Vainio wrote one of his best-known translations, Fredi's Kolmatta linjaa takaisin.

Juha Vainio wrote the music to several of his songs, despite never considering himself a singer or a composer but above all a lyricist.

Juha Vainio started writing lyrics for composer Toivo Karki, who had lost his primary lyricist Reino Helismaa in January 1965.

The album Viisari varahtaa included the song Kaunissaari, which Juha Vainio recorded several times during his career.

The trio made a summer tour called Kansalle mita kansa haluaa but at times Juha Vainio was too intoxicated to perform.

Juha Vainio made up nicknames for all his pupils, who in return called him Junnu.

Juha Vainio had a habit of coming up with very unorthodox methods of punishment but in general got on well with his pupils.

Juha Vainio often carried a hip flask in case he ran out of something to drink.

On one occasion, Juha Vainio forgot that he was supposed to have finished the text of an advertising tune.

Juha Vainio began to realize that he could not live like this forever.

Juha Vainio was especially helped in this decision through his meeting footballer Kai Pahlman, who told Vainio that he was surprised he was still alive.

In late 1975, Juha Vainio stayed sober for four months, but then caved in for a short time.

Juha Vainio was supported by his friends who had quit drinking a few years earlier, such as Osmo "Osku" Kanerva.

Eino Gron, a friend of Juha Vainio's, decided to follow his example and managed to quit a year and a half after Juha Vainio.

Juha Vainio never wanted to be called a teetotaler and considered himself a recovered alcoholic.

Juha Vainio began discussing the topic of drinking in his lyrics.

Juha Vainio worked a lot with Veikko Samuli and Jaakko Salo, and Salo started arranging songs Vainio had written.

Juha Vainio began composing actively in the late 1970s, although he had already published his own compositions at the beginning of the decade.

Juha Vainio started writing more sensitive songs, a trend which became evident in his next albums.

In 1976, Juha Vainio was hired to write a number of bawdy songs which were later released on cassette tape.

Juha Vainio wrote a part of the songs and sang on the record with all musicians using pseudonyms, Juha Vainio's being Junnu Kaihomieli.

In 1979 Juha Vainio participated in another recording of similar songs.

In 1982 Juha Vainio collaborated with bodybuilder Kike Elomaa when they sang together on the single Kunto nousee sullakin, with lyrics by Juha Vainio.

At one time Juha Vainio was travelling to Florida with his friend, composer Veikko Samuli.

Juha Vainio had to go to the bathroom during the flight, and soon there was a call for a doctor from the flight crew.

Juha Vainio had kept his heart medicines in his pocket, where the box had opened and mixed with his pastilles.

Juha Vainio had eaten too much of the medicine by accident, and his heartbeat started to slow down.

Juha Vainio died of a heart attack in his home in Gryon, Switzerland, on October 29,1990, in the arms of his wife.

The day before he died, Vainio had become friends with ice hockey coach Juhani Tamminen and dined with his family.

The record Juha Vainio had worked on during the final years of his life was released posthumously by Scandia in 1991 as Viiskymppisen viisut.

Especially important for Juha Vainio had been the song Kauan sitten which he had recorded in the early 1970s.

The name Juha "Watt" Vainio was used on the cover of several albums and was a name he was publicly known by.

Producer Jaakko Salo commented that Juha Vainio's career found a new start once Juha Vainio quit drinking.

Virtanen has said that while Juha Vainio worked at a fast pace, songs were never easy for him to write.

Juha Vainio's work did not become easier when he quit drinking, but it did become more emotional.

Juha Vainio frequently played football and basketball in his youth and later on remained an enthusiastic spectator.

Juha Vainio wrote the lyrics for ice-hockey team Tappara's anthem Tappara on terasta, which was composed by Reijo Lehtovirta in 1976.

Tappara's manager Mikko Westberg asked Juha Vainio to write a song for the team, requesting that the lyrics contain the phrases "Tappara is made of steel" and "rye bread".

Juha Vainio became a lifetime fan of Tappara after writing the song.

Juha Vainio often took his family and friends sailing in his boat, and in 1987 bought an island in Osterskar with his wife Pirkko.

Juha Vainio's work continues to have major relevance in Finnish popular music, an example of which being two Juha Vainio cover albums by Vesa-Matti Loiri in 2003 and 2004.