A unique team of musicians sings at the ceremony: Eythór Ingi Gunnlaugsson, Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson, Mugison, Páll Rósinkranz, Ragnheiður Gröndal and Sigríður Thorlacius as well as Björgvin’s children, Svála and Krumma. Then Fóstbræður will also sing. Music director and pianist is Óskar Einarsson, while Guðmundur Pétursson plays guitar.
You can follow the funeral in the news below.
Björgvin Helgi Halldórsson was Gaflari by heart. That’s where the rawness seems to have come from, the quick answers, but he often said that Hafnarfjörður was the Memphis of Iceland, then referring to the fact that he himself was the Elvis of Iceland.
Björgvin was born in Hafnarfjörður on April 16, 1951 and died at his home on April 9, 2026. Björgvin grew up in his hometown and his interest in music was awakened early. He sang songs that became very popular in Iceland, and on October 1, 1969, he was chosen “pop star of the year” at a pop festival in Laugardalshöll. There the path was marked for life and he has been one of the most loved musicians in the country ever since; performer and songwriter in Iceland, as well as performing various other jobs in the Icelandic music and entertainment scene.
In addition to an impressive solo career, bands he worked with included Bendix, Flowers, Ævintýri, Brimkló, Hljómar, Change, Ðe Lónlí Blú Bojs, HLH and Sléttuúlfarnir as well as Björgvin Halldórsson’s band. He is said to have recorded over 900 songs. He then worked as the manager of a recording studio, in charge of radio programming, as well as being the “voice of Station 2” for decades.
Björgvin was unique and so well-known for his speeches that Gísli Rúnar Jónsson, a writer and actor, wrote a book about the phenomenon that was published in 2001 and was titled “Bó & co … with Icelandic text”. There you can find a lot of fun stories about Bó and his companions, but only a fraction of what exists. Although today Björgvin is greeted with tears, there is always a glimmer of humor that was so characteristic of the man. People now find comfort in the classic stories of Bó.
Mr. Bo Hall wants to meet you in the hotel suite
In Morgunblaðinu you can find a number of obituaries today, and that adds to the sarpi. For example, musician Egill Ólafsson tells about their first meeting in a funny story, but they had been hired to sing with Magnús Kjartansson’s band at Íslendingaskemtun that was held in Florida. Egill, who claims to have been in a different department than Björgvin, arrived later than the others but was told that Mr. Bo Hall wants to meet her that evening in the hotel suite:
“I had planned to rest after a long flight, but when the king calls you don’t miss out. So I got ready, but when I arrive at the suite I am greeted by only two servants. I hesitate, I see that two dinner tables have been set up, one set for two, with corresponding glasses, and the other a little further away and all in a simpler format.
Then I hear Björgvin approaching the suite in a swaggering conversation with someone about Bourbon whiskey, and when he enters he casually throws a greeting at me. He was taking out the wine with the butler. Finally, Björgvin turns to me and measures me from head to toe and focuses on the shoes, black shoes with a toe cap, and I see a wave of zeal pass over his face. “Egill, how can you wear such ‘Frankenstein shoes’?”
Egill didn’t quite know where the weather was coming from, and in that the loyalty troll Gústi root walks into the suite and Bo informs Agli that he is going to offer him a drink in the presence of witnesses.
“Now we drink American whiskey at seven-up. ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do!'” Next he invited me to sit opposite him at the table and each dish was brought in one after the other with the accompanying wine – while Gústi enjoyed a hamburger on the other table,” writes Egill.
People say that a horse got into the family
During the day, Björgvin turned out to be the funniest person, telling stories and playing at the top of his lungs, and there was a lot of laughter. “He claimed, for example, that the two of us were related through the Bergsætt: “People say that a horse came into the family, and that is the explanation why the majority of men in the family look like the rear end of a horse, while the minority have the appearance of the front end – and it is a question of which is sharper!”
After that evening, Björgvin and I were friends and fellow soldiers – I had been accepted. There was only one condition he set: I had to park the “Frankenstein” scooter. I promised that – I still have them, of course, but I always made sure not to use the shoes if there was any hope that Björgvin and I would be on the same level. A great personality and master has said goodbye – may he rest in peace.”
Another person who writes a memorial about Bó is the restaurateur and radio personality Jóhannes Ásbjörnsson, who says, among other things:
“Björgvin was huge. His age and star shine, but no less his heart and warmth. And that’s how I want to remember him in a few words. When Hamborgarafabrikkan was created in 2010, it was decided to go in search of selected Icelandic artists to christen hamburgers after them. For Björgvin, it was an easy matter, with the only thing being that he got to decide the conditions and that his honey-mustard sauce recipe When he was asked about the name of the citizen, there was no answer: Stóri Bó.
Björgvin’s room nicer than Cocker’s
In this way, people, in the midst of grief, have a hard time remembering funny answers and incidents. Musician Stefán Hilmarsson says that in his mind, Björgvin was almost an icon: “It took time to get under Bo’s shell, who seemed rough from the front and had a kind of defensive shell around him. But when you got to know him, he was open and sweet, although he was always short on sarcasm and playful phrases.”
Björn G. Björnsson remembers his and Bó’s trips to Italy with their families, where Björgvin learned Italian pop songs that he then turned into the Christmas songs that everyone loves. Unforgettable is when they unexpectedly ran into the legend Joe Cocker in a hotel bar in Lyon, France.
“Björgvin was of course quick to get to know him and a party ensued. When the fun ended, Joe wanted to show Björgvin ‘how the other half lives’ and brag about his suite. Björgvin saw the suite, but then took Joe to see his suite. Björgvin had gotten a nicer room than Joe Cocker, and the legend went back to his room gaping.”
Packed up Wolfman Jack
Managing director Magnús E. Kristjánsson says of the meeting between the two, he mentions that once the two together with a third man were traveling down Öskjuhlíðin in Björgvin’s Chrysler. He drove.
“Then a song with Björgvin came on the radio, and Björgvin got really high on it. Then Wolfman Jack, who was sitting in the back seat, was heard. “Hey, this is a great song. Who sings this?” “This is me,” said Björgvin. “No way,” said Wolfman. I confirmed that it was Björgvin. Wolfman could hardly believe it and leaned back in his seat. There was silence in the Chrysler for a moment. Björgvin looked at me as quickly as possible and said: “I packed him.” No one could capture the moment with one-liners like Björgvin. In this way, he has sharpened many things, which result in clearer and more pleasant memories. We should be thankful for that,” says Magnús.
The stories of Bó are countless. For them, for the song and everything else, Vísir thanks. Bless the memory of Björgvin Halldórsson.
