Musician
Ex-Turbonegro singer Hank Von Helvete has died
Hank von Helvete (r), then singer of the Norwegian band Turbonegro, at the music festival “Rock am Ring” in 2006. Photo: Harald Tittel / dpa / archive
© dpa-infocom GmbH
From 1993 to 2009 Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby sang in the Norwegian punk’n’roll band Turbonegro. Now he has died at the age of 49.
The former singer of the Norwegian punk and roll band Turbonegro, Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby, is dead.
The musician, also known as Hank Von Helvete or Hank von Hell – “Hank from Hell” – died at the age of 49, his manager Boye Nythun told Norwegian broadcaster NRK on behalf of Husby’s family. The death was also announced on Husby’s personal Instagram page: “We kindly ask for your respect for family and close friends at this moment of tragedy.”
The band mourned their former front man. “We are grateful for the times, the moments and the magic that we were allowed to share with Hans-Erik for Turbonegro between 1993 and 2009,” said an Instagram entry from Saturday night. Husby was central to the group. Hank Von Helvete remains an icon of Norwegian rock and pop culture. “We are proud of what we have created together as rock brothers with Turbonegro – the music, the characters, our whole universe.”
Husby left the band for good in 2010. In the meantime he was heavily addicted to drugs and eventually went into therapy. Turbonegro took a break for years. The band is also known for its fans: The Turbojugend perform like rocker gangs in denim frocks. Sailor caps, hats and make-up, however, indicate the fun factor. Tony Sylvester has been the singer since 2011.