En hyldest til en af de største Danske Folkesangere : John Mogensen.

A tribute to one of the greatest Danish folk singers: John Mogensen.

John Mogensen (døbt John Louis Hansen – efternavn blev ændret i 1936, da moderen giftede sig) (født 5. maj 1928, død 10. april 1977) var en dansk sanger, sangskriver og komponist.
I 1952 blev John Mogensen medlem af sangkvartetten Blue Boys, men startede senere Four Jacks sammen med Poul Rudi, Otto Brandenburg og Bent Werther. Gruppen blev opløst i 1963, og John Mogensen fortsatte som pianist på Oslo-bådene, til familiefester og på mindre værtshuse. Han skrev også melodier til andre, bl.a. "Du ser mig, når jeg kommer" til Grethe Sønck, og et par melodier til Jørgen Ingmann. Det blev i 1964 til et enkelt forsøg med en single, der således markerer John Mogensens formelle debut som solist.
Med "Der er noget galt i Danmark" (1971) tog en stor solokarriere for alvor fart, via en kontrakt med Jørgen Kleinert. Stribevis af indspilninger i sin helt egen pop/country-stil gjorde lykke hos publikum op igennem 70'erne, og han modtog i 1972 Nikolaj-prisen af Poul og Lise Reinau, for sin originalitet og for sin kunstneriske indsats.
John Mogensen mente ikke, at det var forkert at satse på det ugentlige radioprogram, Dansktoppen, som platform, selv om han ofte blev kritiseret for det. "Dansktoppen er dig og mig, den dejligste kop kaffe du drikker, bilen der kører forbi hver dag. Den er alt det og ingenting der sker hver eneste dag"
John Mogensen havde problemer med alkohol, hvilket for alvor blev synligt hen mod slutningen af hans karriere, hvor han aflyste flere og flere koncerter. Dette skyldes også, at han havde problemer med præstationangst. Han lavede også sange som "Nede i møjet", der handler om, at han er fattig og sulten.
Sidste ord :
John Mogensen gæstede stamværtshuset Færgegaarden for sidste gang 10. april 1977. Her sagde han til bartenderen Carsten Roslundh, "Old timer – jeg tror sgu jeg er færdig". Til dette svarede Roslundh "Gu' er du da ej færdig – du skal bare hjem til Ruth.". Kort efter faldt John Mogensen om, blev kørt hjem til sit hjem og døde af hjertestop.
Trods sin død gik Mogensens musik ikke af mode. Utallige genudgivelser og compilation-albums er kommet siden hen.
Den enkle "Så længe jeg lever", der oprindeligt udkom i 1973, regnes i dag for en standardmelodi, der næsten spilles dagligt i radioen. Sangen var den mest spillede sang på de danske radiostationer i 1980'erne. I 1980'erne var denne titel også udgangspunktet for Erik Thygesen og Jacob Christesens kabaret, der turnerede i 12 år med bl.a Jytte Pilloni og Troels Jensen som medvirkende. Musicalen "Så længe mit hjerte slår" havde premiere i februar 1985 på teatret Københavneren. Forestillingen var en hyldest til John Mogensen, hans musik og det Danmark, han beskrev. Den tog sit udgangspunkt i John Mogensens sange, mens dialogen, der bandt de enkelte sange sammen, var skrevet af Erik Thygesen. Instruktør var Jacob Christesen, der også medvirkede i stykket i rollen som "John". Forestillingen turnerede landet rundt i de følgende år til langt op i 1990'erne.
Datteren Minna Mogensen har også udsendt en LP med sin fars sange.

John Mogensen (baptized John Louis Hansen's last name was changed in 1936 when the mother married) (born May 5, 1928, died April 10, 1977) was a Danish singer, songwriter and composer.

In 1952 John Mogensen became a member of the singing quartet Blue Boys, but later started Four Jacks together with Poul Rudi, Otto Brandenburg and Bent Werther. The group was dissolved in 1963, and John Mogensen continued as a pianist on the Oslo boats, for family celebrations and in smaller hostels. He also wrote melodies to others, including "You see me when I come" to Grethe Sønck, and a couple of melodies to Jørgen Ingmann. It became a single attempt with a single in 1964, thus marking John Mogensen's formal debut as a soloist.

With "Something Wrong in Denmark" (1971), a major solo career took a real boost, through a contract with Jørgen Kleinert. Lots of recordings in his very own pop / country style made public happiness through the 70's, and in 1972 he received the Nikolaj Prize by Poul and Lise Reinau, for its originality and for its artistic efforts.

John Mogensen did not think it was wrong to bet on the weekly radio show, the Danish top, as a platform, although he was often criticized for it. "The Danish top is you and me, the most delicious cup of coffee you drink, the car that passes by every day. It's all that and nothing happens every single day"

John Mogensen had problems with alcohol, which became visible towards the end of his career, where he canceled more and more concerts. This is due to the fact that he had problems with performance anxiety. He also made songs like "Down in the Mink", which is about being poor and hungry.

Despite his death, Mogensen's music was not fashionable. Countless releases and compilation albums have come since.

The simple "As long as I live", originally published in 1973, is now considered a standard melody that is almost played daily on the radio. The song was the most played song at the Danish radio stations in the 1980s. In the 1980s, this title was also the starting point for Erik Thygesen and Jacob Christensen's cabaret, who played for 12 years with Jytte Pilloni and Troels Jensen as contributors. The musical "As long as my heart beats" was premiered in February 1985 at the Copenhagen theater. The performance was a tribute to John Mogensen, his music and the Denmark he described. It was based on John Mogensen's songs, while the dialogue that tied the individual songs together was written by Erik Thygesen. The director was Jacob Christesen, who also participated in the play in the role of "John". The show toured the country in the following years to the far of the 1990s.

Danish Folk