17 Facts About Tapio Rautavaara

Kaj Tapio Rautavaara was a Finnish singer, athlete and film actor.

Tapio Rautavaara was born in the municipality of Pirkkala, a suburb of the industrial city of Tampere, as the son of Henrik Kerttula and Hilda Rautavaara.

Tapio Rautavaara used to have conflicts with his conservative teachers due to his working-class background.

Tapio Rautavaara earned pocket money by selling socialist papers for local workers of the Finlayson textile factory.

Four years later, the family returned Oulunkyla, where Tapio Rautavaara lived the rest of his life.

Tapio Rautavaara received gold records for the songs Isoisan olkihattu, Vain merimies voi tietaa and Haavalssi.

The touring stopped due to personal problems, but Tapio Rautavaara continued to record songs with Helismaa's lyrics until Helismaa's death in 1965.

Tapio Rautavaara became one of the most beloved singers in Finland.

Tapio Rautavaara was cast as the protagonist in numerous Finnish films, and was supposedly a candidate for the part of Tarzan after Johnny Weissmuller had quit his career.

The peak of Tapio Rautavaara's popularity was in the 1950s, stretching into the early years of the 1960s.

Tapio Rautavaara continued to perform regularly right up until his death, even though his gigs in the 1970s were for smaller audiences, such as in department stores and topping out ceremonies.

On 25 September 1979 Tapio Rautavaara had been at the Tikkurila Swimming Center in Vantaa taking photographs for the book Kultaa, kunniaa, kyyneleita along with photographer Pentti Pekkala.

Tapio Rautavaara was taken to a nearby health center, where his injuries were not taken seriously, as staff believed him to be drunk.

Tapio Rautavaara's head was bandaged and he was sent home.

Tapio Rautavaara's wife told their daughter that he had gone.

Tapio Rautavaara was buried in the Malmi Cemetery in Malmi, Helsinki.

Peter von Bagh created a TV documentary on Tapio Rautavaara entitled Tapsa at the time of Tapio Rautavaara's death in 1979.