Norwegian blues-rock guitarist Marius Müller is a singer/songwriter whose career took flight in 1981 with the breakout hit "Den Du Veit" but was unfortunately cut short in 1999 when he died in an accident. For nearly a decade he served as the frontman of Marius Müller's Funhouse, a celebrated power trio sometimes known simply as Funhouse. Born on August 20, 1958, and hailing from Oslo, Norway, Müller is chiefly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, whose guitar heroics made an indelible mark on him at a young age. Upon signing a recording contract with PolyGram Records, Müller made his full-length debut in 1981 with Den Du Veit, a self-written album whose title track was a break-out hit. Like the album itself, "Den Du Veit" was a Top Five hit on the Norwegian charts. However, subsequent releases failed to rival the success of Müller's debut effort. Second album Er'e Så Nøye 'A? (1982) reached the Top 20, yet none of the few that followed -- Marius (1983), The Big Beat (1985), and Boom Boom (1987) -- was a commercial hit. Müller's fortunes took a turn for the better in 1990 with Funhouse, the debut full-length effort by his newly formed power trio, Marius Müller's Funhouse, comprised of Müller (vocals, guitar), Pål Reinertsen (bass), and Totto Hansen (drums). On its album debut the trio played a mix of cover material, including a couple Hendrix classics ("Red House," "Foxey Lady"), and original material penned by Müller himself. Subsequent full-length efforts Maximum (1991) and Big (1993) were likewise comprised partly of cover material. These Funhouse albums, along with a reputation for fiery live performances, helped elevate Müller's stature to the point where he returned to the Norwegian charts in the mid-'90s for the first time in over a decade with the in-concert recording Plugged (1994), a Top 20 hit. The follow-up albums Seks (1995) and Det Norske Huset (1997) were also popular, if lacking the live energy of their in-concert predecessor. Sadly, Müller's career was cut short on March 14, 1999, when he died in an accident at age 40. The retrospective compilation Marius Müller (2000) was released in the wake of his death, and nearly a decade later, the posthumous album Plugged 2: Rett og Slett (2009) was a Top Ten hit. ~ Jason Birchmeier