Tim Christensen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Christensen
Tim Christensen performing in 2022
Background information
Born	(1974-07-02) 2 July 1974 (age 51)
Origin	Copenhagen, Denmark
Genres	Alternative rock, pop rock, power pop, hard rock, folk rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter multi-instrumentalist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums, Mellotron, harmonium, keyboard, piano, organ
Years active	1982–current
Labels	EMI-Medley (1993–2005) Copenhagen (2005) Mermaid/Sony Music (2005–current) PIAS (2009) Parlophone (2014)
Associated acts	Dizzy Mizz Lizzy The D* Crystals Swan Lee

Tim Christensen (born July 2, 1974) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is famous as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Danish alternative rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. He also has a successful career as a solo artist. Since 2014, he has mostly focused on Dizzy Mizz Lizzy.

Tim's solo music is rock with touches of pop and folk. He has released four studio albums, two EPs, and two live DVDs. Some of his biggest musical inspirations include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Neil Young.

Tim Christensen's Musical Journey

Starting Young: Early Years (1974–1982)

Tim Christensen loved The Beatles' music from a very young age. When he was six, he saw many TV shows about The Beatles after John Lennon passed away. He was so impressed by their playing that he started playing his father's acoustic guitar. He got his first guitar from a relative.

When Tim was eight, his father gave him a special choice. He could either build a swimming pool or go on a trip to Liverpool, John Lennon's hometown, and to the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Tim chose the trip, which was his family's only vacation. Around this time, he also played in a children's rock band and began writing his own songs.

Playing guitar came naturally to Tim. He didn't want to take formal lessons or practice "boring children's songs." At a recreation center, he met a musician named Bent, who became his mentor. Bent helped Tim play in the center's basement. In 1982, Tim formed a children's rock band called Crep with some friends. They released a three-song recording in 1985. Crep broke up in 1988 when Tim's family moved to Copenhagen. He received his first Fender Stratocaster guitar as a gift.

Rocking Out with Dizzy Mizz Lizzy (1988–1998)

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy was formed in 1988. Tim started the band with his classmate Martin Nielsen (bass guitar) and drummer Søren Friis. Tim played electric guitar. At first, they played glam rock, but then they were inspired by Nirvana and changed their style to power rock.

In 1993, they won Denmark's biggest rock talent contest, DM i Rock. This led to them signing with EMI-Medley. Their first album, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, came out in 1994. It sold over 250,000 copies in Denmark and 100,000 in Japan. The band toured Denmark, Europe, and Japan. They recorded their second album, Rotator, at the famous Abbey Road Studios. It was released in 1996 and also sold well.

In 1997, the band took a year off. During this time, Tim performed with B.B. King on a TV show. He also helped start the band Swan Lee. Tim had a special connection to recording at Abbey Road Studios, but his bandmates didn't share his excitement as much. This caused some tension within the band. Tim also started experimenting with a Mellotron, an instrument that would appear in many of his future songs.

On March 10, 1998, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy decided to break up because they were tired. People wondered what Tim would do next since he was involved in many music projects.

Solo Adventures: Secrets on Parade (1998–2003)

After Dizzy Mizz Lizzy broke up, Tim became more focused on his own music. He used songwriting to help him through this time. He originally wrote songs for a new band, but he decided to start a solo career instead. This gave him full control over his music.

Tim realized he wanted a stable career where he could grow as a musician. He also changed his approach to songwriting. Before, he focused mostly on the music. Now, he put equal effort into both the lyrics and the music. His songs became more personal, like a diary. This is why his first solo album was called Secrets on Parade.

He found other musicians to record the album with him. They played six shows before going into the studio. The public had to get used to Tim not being in a power trio anymore. He had to show people that his music was still rock, even with a wider sound. The album was released in 2000. The song "Love is a Matter of...." became a hit. Another song, "21st Century High," was featured in the Danish movie Flickering Lights (2000).

During this time, Tim also played with other artists. He co-wrote a hit song for Inside the Whale. He also played instruments on albums by Kashmir and Mew. He performed at the Roskilde Festival several times as a solo artist.

Honeyburst and Abbey Road (2003–2008)

Tim was eager to release new music after Secrets on Parade. In 2002, a year before his second album came out, his song "Right Next to the Right One" became a national hit. It was used as the theme song for the TV series Nikolaj og Julie. This quiet ballad was very different from Dizzy Mizz Lizzy's sound. In 2007, Celine Dion even covered this song.

Because of his success with ballads, some people had a different idea of Tim's music. He explained that many people knew Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and the TV show song, but not his other solo work. However, this also helped him reach a much wider audience, from young children to older adults. He noticed that being a solo artist meant more attention was on him personally, unlike when he was in a band.

His second single, "Whispering At the Top of My Lungs," was played a lot on the radio in 2003. His second album, Honeyburst, was released on September 1, 2003, and sold over 130,000 copies. It was described as more calm and mature, with some folk and country influences. Tim played almost all the instruments on the album himself.

The Honeyburst tour went through Denmark and the Netherlands. The final concert was held at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London on September 3, 2004. This concert was released as a DVD/CD called Live at Abbey Road Studios 2004.

In 2005, Tim changed record labels to Copenhagen Records because he wanted more artistic freedom. Later, he moved to Mermaid Records, which was partly bought by Sony Music.

Tim was asked to write a song for the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 2004, but he politely declined. Crown Prince Frederik is a big fan of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, and Crown Princess Mary enjoys Tim's solo music.

On August 16, 2006, Tim briefly reunited with Dizzy Mizz Lizzy for a five-song performance at a charity event.

Tim Christensen performing solo at Nibe Festival in 2009.

New Directions: Distributed Activities (2008–2014)

Tim started to try new things in his career. He divided his solo work into full-band and acoustic shows. He also played with the reunited Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and worked with other artists like Mads Langer. He even hosted a radio show.

Solo Work

Tim's third solo album, Superior, was released on November 24, 2008. He played most of the instruments himself and experimented with unique instruments. He toured Denmark and the Netherlands and recorded a show for Rockpalast.

In 2010, Tim played some solo shows in the Netherlands and won an award for "Best Live Show 2010." EMI also released compilation albums of his best songs, including Big-5: Tim Christensen.

His fourth studio album was released on November 25, 2011. The first single, "Surprise Me," was chosen as "Single of the Week" by DR P3. Tim said it was "the most classic rock-track" on the album. He toured Denmark and Japan in 2012.

In 2011, Tim became a mentor for a project called Dr.dk/Sangskriver. This project helps children and teenagers sing more by giving them feedback on their songs.

On December 17, 2012, Tim released The EP Series, Volume 1: Acoustic Covers. This album featured him singing and playing acoustic guitar, including a duet with Gemma Hayes. His first two solo albums were re-released on vinyl in 2014.

In October 2014, parts of his song "If You Wanna Talk" were used for the "Knæk Cancer" (Break Cancer) campaign. Tim also performed at a tribute concert for the DR Chamber Orchestra, with whom he had played before.

On October 7, 2018, Tim performed at a memorial concert for Gasolin' frontman Kim Larsen. He sang "Som et strejf af en dråbe" to honor the late musician.

Tim Christensen during Dizzy Mizz Lizzy's performance at Roskilde Festival 2010.

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy Reunion

From March to September 2010, Tim went on a reunion tour with Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. They played almost 50 concerts in Denmark and Japan. After the tour, they decided to go their separate ways again, but they appeared together at a film festival for a documentary about the band called Lost Inside a Dream.

Working with Other Artists

Around the time he worked on Superior, Tim co-wrote the song "Say No More" with Mads Langer. He also performed with the band Figurines on TV.

Tim played guitars and sang on some songs for Heidi Svelmøe Herløw's album Talisman (2011). Heidi had previously sung Tim's song "Whispering at the Top of My Lungs" on X Factor.

Tim performed a show with Gemma Hayes in 2011. A year later, she sang a duet with him on his acoustic covers EP. In 2013, they released an album called Pure McCartney, which featured songs by Paul McCartney.

In 2014, Tim and Mads Langer released an EP called Side Effects. Their first single, "Bringing Back Tomorrow," came out in June. They performed these songs on the Grøn Koncert tour. This collaboration won them a GAFFA Award for "Danish rock band of the year."

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy's Second Era (2014–Current)

After a four-year break, Tim hinted at another Dizzy Mizz Lizzy reunion in October 2014. Soon after, the band started touring again and revealed new music. Tim has mostly focused on Dizzy Mizz Lizzy since then. He said that some of his heavy guitar riffs fit better with Dizzy Mizz Lizzy than his solo work.

On November 7, 2015, the band performed at the Danish Grammy ceremony. Tim received the IFPI's Ærespris (Honorary Award), which is a very important prize for Danish musicians.

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy released their third album, Forward in Reverse, on April 29, 2016. It received great reviews and won GAFFA Awards for "Danish album of the year" and "Danish rock album of the year." Critics said it helped the band become Denmark's most popular rock band again. Their fourth album, Alter Echo, released in 2020, also won a GAFFA Award for "Danish rock album of the year." Tim himself won "Songwriter of the year" for the first time. Fans seem to love the new songs just as much as the old classics.

Musical Gear

Tim Christensen uses two Vox AC30 amplifiers from the 1960s. He connects them to Marshall 4x12 G1275 cabinets, which he received for his 18th birthday.

He plays several guitars, including:

• A 1974 Gibson Hummingbird
• An old sunburst Fender Telecaster
• A white Fender Stratocaster
• A red Gibson ES-330
• A deep red Gibson ES-125
• Three Rickenbacker 480 guitars from 1973 and 1974 (white or black)
• He also uses Henning Hansen guitars.

In his living room, he has a Höfner bass guitar.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

Tim Christensen solo

Tim Christensen and The D*** Crystals

Live Albums, EPs, and Compilations

Tim Christensen solo

Tim Christensen, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, with The D*** Crystals

Tim Christensen and Mads Langer

Singles

Tim Christensen solo

• 2000: "21st Century High" (radio version) / "21st Century High" (album version), EMI
• 2001: "Love Is a Matter of..." (promo), EMI
• 2001: "Love Is a Matter of..." / "Misty Mono" (live), EMI
• 2001: "Watery Eyes" (promo), EMI
• 2001: "King's Garden" / "Prime Time", EMI
• 2002: "Right Next To the Right One" (promo), EMI
• 2003: "Whispering at the Top of My Lungs" (promo), EMI
• 2004: "How Far You Go" (promo), EMI
• 2004: "Jump the Gun" (promo), EMI
• 2004: "Surfing the Surface" (promo), EMI
• 2008: "Superior", Mermaid
• 2009: "Hard to Make You Mine", Mermaid
• 2009: "India", Mermaid
• 2009: "Tell Me What You Really Want", Mermaid

Tim Christensen and The D*** Crystals

• 2011: "Surprise Me", Mermaid / Sony Music
• 2012: "Happy Ever After", Mermaid / Sony Music
• 2012: "Far Beyond Driven", Mermaid / Sony Music

Tim Christensen and Mads Langer

Songs Covered by Other Artists

• "Love is a Matter of..." from Secrets on Parade was covered by Will Young in 2003 as "Love is a Matter of Distance."
• Maggie Chiang recorded "Right Next to The Right One" in Chinese in 2004.
• Eason Chan performed a Chinese version of "How Far You Go" in 2003.
• An Italian version of "Right Next to The Right One" was recorded by Dolcenera.
• Celine Dion covered "Right Next to The Right One" on her album Taking Chances (2007).
• In 2008, Heidi Svelmøe Herløw sang "Whispering at the Top of My Lungs" on X Factor.
• In 2011, Noa Sophie sang "How Far You Go" on Voice: Danmarks største stemme.

Awards and Recognitions

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy

• 1994 Danish group of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 1995 Danish group of the year (Danish Grammy)
• 1995 Danish newcomer of the year (Danish Grammy)
• 1995 Danish rock album of the year (Danish Grammy for Dizzy Mizz Lizzy)
• 1995 People's choice award (Danish Grammy)
• 1996 Danish live group of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 1997 Danish live group of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 1997 Danish rock album of the year (Danish Grammy for Rotator)
• 1997 Danish producer of the year (Danish Grammy for Nick Foss for Rotator)
• 2016 Danish album of the year (GAFFA Award for Forward in Reverse)
• 2016 Danish rock album of the year (GAFFA Award for Forward in Reverse)
• 2021 Danish rock album of the year (GAFFA Award for Alter Echo)
• 2021 Songwriter of the year (GAFFA Award)

Tim Christensen solo

• 2000 Singer of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 2000 Newcomer of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 2003 Singer of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 2004 Danish DVD of the year (GAFFA Award for Live at Abbey Road Studios 2004)
• 2004 Danish album of the year (Danish Grammy for Honeyburst)
• 2004 Danish singer of the year (Danish Grammy)
• 2004 Danish producer of the year (Danish Grammy for Honeyburst, shared with Rune Nissen-Petersen)
• 2015 IFPI's Ærespris (Danish Grammy, Honorary Award)

Tim Christensen and Mads Langer

• 2014 Danish band of the year (GAFFA Award)
• 2014 Danish rock album of the year (GAFFA Award for Side Effects)