Ari Koivunen

Ari Koivunen, a Finnish metal vocalist, entered the world on June 7, 1984, in Kouvola. During his school years he absorbed the music of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden while drumming and singing. By the time he joined the Finnish television contest Idols in March 2007, Koivunen already possessed considerable stage experience, having captured first place at the 2005 Finnish Karaoke Championships and third place at the Karaoke World Championships soon afterward. His Idols performances quickly turned him into an audience favorite, as he drew material from Whitesnake, Iron Maiden and Billy Joel. Judges repeatedly faulted him for limiting himself to heavy metal, yet Koivunen never altered his approach; that resolve secured his victory in the 2007 competition. Early commercial recognition followed when a gold record was awarded for his role on an Idols contestants compilation CD that sold 15,000 copies in two days. The pattern held with his Sony BMG debut single “Hear My Call,” which ruled Finnish radio for weeks, and continued weeks later when his first album, Fuel for the Fire, debuted at number one on the national charts. The release received platinum certification inside a week, establishing it as the fastest-selling album in Finnish recording history.