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Alexandra Naumik | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Alex Alexandra Sandøy |
| Born | (1949-08-12)12 August 1949 |
| Died | 17 September 2013(2013-09-17) (aged 64) |
| Genres | Pop Rock Funk Disco |
| Years active | 1966 - 2013 |
| Labels | Polydor RCA |
| Website | AlexMusic.com |
Alexandra Naumik (formerlyAlexandra Sandøy; 12 August 1949 – 17 September 2013), better known by her stage nameAlex, was a Lithuanian-born, Polish-Norwegian rock and pop artist who rose to fame in the late 1970s.[1]
Naumik was born in 1949 to Polish parents inVilnius,Lithuanian SSR. During theStalinist era she was deported to Siberia together with her family and only arrived inPoland 6 years later. With her talented voice, spanning more than four octaves, Naumik won several competitions and prizes while still a teenager and recorded records with renowned artists such asAgnieszka Osiecka andAdam Slawinski. Having graduated from the Pedagogy Institute inŁódź in 1969, she moved toNorway in 1970 after marrying Norwegianfilm directorHaakon Sandøy.
Following her move to Norway, Naumik resumed her music career, adopting the stage nameAlex. The stage name itself was created and given by writerJens Bjørneboe, who dedicated on his novel "Powderhouse" (Kruttårnet in Norw.) - «To little Alex from old Jens». Her eponymous 1977 debut album launched funk-rock in Norway while her album received both critical acclaim and the Norwegian Album of the Year award, also selling to both silver and gold records. Her first band, also named "Alex", was formed in 1976 together with Bjørn Christiansen, Svein Gundersen (from the earlier noted Rock groupAunt Mary),Brynjulf Blix and Per Ivar Johansen.
She was also the first Norwegian artist to sign international recording contracts in 1977 withPolyGram International (nowUniversal Music Group) and in 1978 withRCA Records, working with artists such asDavid Foster,Andrae Crouch,Andy Summers andGlen Matlock. In addition to performing all over the world, Alex was also given her own television special in the GermanMusikladen series, which was viewed by 20 million people in over 18 countries worldwide.
During the early 80s, Naumik took part inMelodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian national finals of theEurovision Song Contest, on four occasions, with her third place in 1980 as her best result. That same year, she and her band were involved in a bus crash, which killed her drummer, Per Ivar Johansen, and seriously injured several other members.
Following the peak of her popularity in the mid-80s, Naumik gradually turned to producing records and writing material for other artists, spending several years working in both the United States and Japan, before returning to Norway in the early 2000s. During this time, Naumik only released two albums herself, in 1991 and -93. Her most recent success was her work with Swedish-born artist Leana's albumFaith, which reached number one on theBillboard charts in June 2006 and January 2007. She contributed as a writer and producer along with her daughter, Naomi Naumik, and her collaborator for 25 years, Grammy winnerAtle Bakken.
In October 2008, Naumik began re-releasing her recordings, both digitally and on CD, marking her debut oniTunes,Spotify, and her own website. At the same time, several brand new recordings and remixes were released.
During her lifetime, Naumik received several international prizes and distinctions in addition to national ones. These have included the "Nordring" prize inHelsinki (1981), Spellemansprisen, the Norwegian Grammy (1977), for two albums, and being voted "Female Artist of the Year" by the readers ofDet Nye magazine in 1980
Alex also became renowned as a trend-setter in several areas ("Alex-hair" was a common expression) and she became the first female artist in Norway to take full control over her music, personal and public image at a time when an independent female artist was unusual. As she was also a pioneer in co-operation between the music and commercial sector and became a spokesperson forHelen Curtis Shampoos,BASF,Levi's andFord Motor Company amongst others.
Naumik married Norwegian film director Haakon Sandøy in 1969, but they later divorced. She spent most of her life, including her final years, in Oslo, but also lived in USA, Japan and Sweden. On 17 September 2013 Naumik was found dead in her Oslo apartment. She was 64.[2]
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