Magnús Þór Jónsson (1945 – 2026)

Their Story

Magnús Þór Jónsson, widely known as Megas, died at the age of 81. One of Iceland's most prolific cultural figures, Megas worked across music, literature and visual art, leaving a substantial body of songs, lyrics, books and artwork. Megas has remained one of the most important Icelandic artists, being considered the father of Icelandic rock and acclaimed for his prolific and, sometimes controversial works. Being an admirer of Elvis Presley, Megas welcomed the arrival of rock & roll to Iceland by 1956, and while he was young, he studied piano and explored the Arts: he painted, wrote short stories for his school, and published the sheet music and lyrics to 14 songs by 1968, many of which would be released on his first records. In 1972, Icelandic students in Oslo, Norway helped him release his first album, in which satiric lyrics were accompanied by a mild acoustic music played by Norwegian folk musicians. His music was banned by the Icelandic national radio, but when his original lyrics were performed with the electric rock band Judas in 1975, Megas managed to reach a broader audience. Megas is survived by his fiancée, Margrét H. Blöndal. He had three sons.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megas