Victor Borge - Biography, Discography
Victor Borge (b.
Biography
Born Børge Rosenbaum, his parents, Bernhard and Frederikke Rosenbaum, were both musicians (Bernhard played violin in the Royal Danish Chapel, and Frederikke played piano). Borge took up piano like his mother at the age of 3, and it was soon realized that he was a prodigy.
Borge played his first major venue in 1926 at the Danish concert-hall Odd Fellow Palæet (The Odd Fellow Mansion). After a few years as a classical concert pianist, he started his now famous "stand up" act, with the signature blend of piano music and jokes. Borge started touring extensively in Europe, where he began telling anti-Nazi jokes.
When Denmark was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, Borge was playing a concert in Sweden, and managed to escape to Finland. Borge, disguised as a sailor, visited Denmark once during the occupation, to visit his dying mother.
Even though Borge didn't speak a word of English upon arrival, he quickly managed to adapt his jokes to the American audience, learning English by watching movies.
From then on, it went quickly for Borge, who won Best New Radio Performer of the Year in 1942. While hosting The Victor Borge Show on NBC from 1946, he developed many of his trademarks, including repeatedly announcing his intent to play a piece but getting "distracted" by something or other, making comments on the audience, or discussing the usefulness of Chopin's Minute Waltz as an eggtimer.
Among Borge's other famous routines is the "Phonetic Punctuation" routine, in which he recites a story, with full punctuation (comma, period, exclamation mark, etc.) as onomatopoetic sounds.
Borge used physical and visual elements in his live and televised performances. (He had, at first, been literally playing the actual tune upside down.) When his energetic playing of another song would cause him to fall off the piano bench, he would open the seat lid, take out the two ends of an automotive seat-belt, and buckle himself onto the bench, for 'safety.' His musical sidekick, Leonid Hambro, was a trained concert pianist.
He also enjoyed interacting with the audience. When they said they did, Borge would take the sheet music from his piano, say "Here," and give it to them.
Borge guested on Toast of the Town, hosted by Ed Sullivan, several times during 1948, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America the same year.
Continuing his success with several tours and shows, Borge played with some of the world's most renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and London Philharmonic.
Borge helped start several trust funds, including the Thanks to Scandinavia Fund, which was started in dedication to those who helped the Jews escape the German persecution during the war. Borge received Kennedy Center Honors in 1999.
Aside from his musical work, Borge wrote two books, My Favorite Intermissions and My Favorite Comedies in Music (with Robert Sherman), and the autobiography Smilet er den korteste afstand ("The Smile is the Shortest Distance" with Niels-Jørgen Kaiser). Victor Borge continued to tour until his last days, performing up to 60 times per year when he was 90 years old.
Borge died December 23, 2000 in Greenwich, Connecticut, after more than 75 years of entertaining. "It was just his time to go", Frederikke Borge said.
Victor Borge Hall was named in Mr. Borge's honor in 2000.
He left behind 4 children, Victor Jr.
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10 months ago
Daisy Green » cuddles3_69 ((at)) yahoo dot com
This is the second site where I've noticed the same error - Victor had FIVE children. Ronald, Janet, Sanna, Victor Jr. (VeBe), & Frederikke. Please correct this mistake.