Paul Oscar

The youngest of seven children of Hjálmtýr E. Hjálmtýsson, a bank clerk, and Margrét Matthíasdóttir, a writer, Paul Oscar was born on 16 March 1970 in Reykjavík. As a child he displayed artistic talent in drawing, writing fairy tales and singing – his mother had him sing for the women in her sewing club and at family birthday parties. He also spent much time singing in choirs and in media commercials, and recorded his first album at the age of seven. His first leading role in a professional theatre production was at 12 years of age in the musical version of Rubber Tarzan, a popular Danish children's novel by Ole Lund Kirkegaard (1940–1979). His voice broke two weeks after the musical's last performance, and he did not sing for the next few years. Paul Oscar rediscovered his voice at the age of 18, singing bass with the Hamrahlíð school choir for two years. In 1990 he won a talent contest for his high school; later that year at the time of his graduation, he played Frank-N-Furter to great success in the school's production of The Rocky Horror Show. Around the same time, he began appearing in drag shows at a notorious Reykjavík nightclub. ==Professional career==

party at the Scala nightclub in London – photographed on 25 April 2008 In the summer of 1993, Paul Oscar left Iceland for New York City, where he met fellow Icelanders Jóhann Jóhannsson and Sigurjón Kjartansson who were then on tour with heavy metal band HAM. They helped him release his first album, Stuð (Groove). In October 1993, Paul Oscar started singing with a band called Milljónamæringarnir (The Millionaires), Allur pakkinn (The Whole Lot, 1999) and Þetta er nú meiri vitleysan (This is Completely Foolish, 2001). The year 1995 saw Paul Oscar make his début as a solo artist. In that year he formed his own recording company, Paul Oscar Productions (P.O.P.) and released an album of ballads entitled Palli which he personally arranged, performed and produced. It was the best-selling Icelandic album of 1995. In 1998 he was invited to appear in A Song for Eurotrash, a one-off special of the British Channel 4 TV series Eurotrash that was based on the Eurovision Song Contest. He also presented a musical feature Popp i Reykjavík (Pop in Reykjavík). Paul Oscar worked with easy-listening group Casino In 2018 he starred in the Borgarleikhúsið production of Rocky Horror Show that set attendance records. He has a reputation for being brash, even rude, when it comes to discussing gay concerns, especially gay sex. Matthías Matthíasson, Director of Samtökin '78, Iceland's gay and lesbian rights group, has commented: "He says things I could never say. But he is an exquisite addition to the gay voice in Iceland." As a gay activist, Paul Oscar helped to organize a Gay Pride Festival in Reykjavík in 2005. Paul Oscar has said he realizes that "as a working place Iceland will be too small for me. Actually, it already is. But I am an Icelander. I will always keep a home here. My roots are so valuable to me. I wouldn't change them for a sack of gold." ==Personal life==

Regarding his personal life, Paul Oscar has said: "I have a lot of work still to do. I have had three relationships that, from the outside, looked picture perfect, I suppose. But they were actually quite rotten, false, and abusive to me. What I am doing now is learning to fall in love with myself." Paul Oscar's father Hjálmtýr E. Hjálmtýsson (5 July 1933 – 12 September 2002), with whom he had a difficult relationship, had roles in the Icelandic comedies Með allt á hreinu (On Top, 1982), Löggulíf (''A Policeman's Life, 1985), and Karlakórinn Hekla (The Men's Choir'', 1992). His older sister, Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Diddú), is an opera singer. ==Controversies==

Antisemitism Paul Oscar was a supporter of boycotting the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, due to it being held in Israel. Speaking of the issue on Icelandic radio station Rás 1 on 5 February, he made remarks about Jewish people infiltrating European countries and thus making it hard for them to condemn Israeli policies: “The reason why the rest of Europe has been virtually silent is that Jews have woven themselves into the fabric of Europe in a very sly way for a very long time. It is not at all hip and cool to be pro-Palestine in Britain,” he said, saying at the interview’s conclusion: “The tragedy is that Jews learned nothing from the Holocaust. Instead, they have taken up the exact same policy of their worst enemy.” He later apologized and retracted his statement. “I made judgements and generalisations about Jewish people. … I take full responsibility for these words, take back my remarks about Jewish people, they are wrong and hurtful. I will take responsibility in actions, from this point forward, and will never again speak ill of the Jewish people, wherever in the world they may live.” ==Selected discography==

Albums • Stuð (Groove, 1993) • Palli (1995) • Seif (1996) • Deep Inside (1999) • Ef ég sofna ekki (''If I Won't Sleep Tonight'', 2001) (in collaboration with harpist Monika Abendroth) • Ljósin heima (The Lights at Home, 2003) (with Monika Abendroth and Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Diddú)) • Allt fyrir ástina (All in the Name of Love, 2007) • Silfursafnið (The Silver Collection, 2008) • Páll Óskar - Box (6 plötur fyrir 1) (compilation, six albums in one, 2014) • Kristalsplatan (2017) • Alveg (2025) Singles • "Minn hinsti dans" (My Final Dance, 1997) (Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest 1997 entry) • "Allt fyrir ástina" (All in the Name of Love, 2007) • "International" (2007) • "Betra Lif" (2007) • "Er þetta ást?" (2008) • "Þú komst við hjartað í mér" (2008) • "Sama hvar þú ert" (2008) • "Gordjöss á esperantó" (in Esperanto, 2010) • "La Dolce Vita" (2011) • "Ást sem endist" (2015) ==See also==