Funhouse

Norwegian blues-rock guitarist and singer/songwriter Marius Müller first rose to prominence in 1981 thanks to the breakout single "Den Du Veit," yet his trajectory ended abruptly in 1999 following a fatal accident. For roughly ten years he fronted the power trio Marius Müller's Funhouse, often shortened to Funhouse. Born August 20, 1958, in Oslo, Norway, Müller drew his strongest inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, whose guitar style left a lasting impression during his early years. After inking a deal with PolyGram Records, he issued his first full-length album, the self-penned Den Du Veit, in 1981; both the record and its title track climbed into the Norwegian Top Five. Later efforts proved less successful commercially. The 1982 follow-up Er'e Så Nøye 'A? peaked inside the Top 20, while Marius (1983), The Big Beat (1985), and Boom Boom (1987) failed to register significant chart impact. Müller's profile improved again in 1990 when the newly assembled power trio—featuring Müller on vocals and guitar alongside bassist Pål Reinertsen and drummer Totto Hansen—released its debut album, Funhouse. That set balanced original Müller compositions with covers, among them the Hendrix staples "Red House" and "Foxey Lady." The group's next two albums, Maximum (1991) and Big (1993), likewise incorporated selected cover material. Bolstered by these releases and a reputation for intense live shows, Müller returned to the Norwegian charts in the mid-1990s after more than a decade away; the concert recording Plugged (1994) reached the Top 20. Subsequent studio albums Seks (1995) and Det Norske Huset (1997) also found an audience, though they lacked the spontaneous vitality of the live predecessor. Tragically, Müller died at age 40 on March 14, 1999. The career-spanning collection Marius Müller appeared in 2000, and nearly a decade afterward the posthumous live set Plugged 2: Rett og Slett (2009) entered the Top Ten.