Erkki Aukusti Junkkarinen (1929-04-22 Suonenjoki – 2008-04-09 Hämeenlinna) was a Finnish singer and also a talented whistler. His career took off 1950 with the song Yksinäinen harmonikka. In 1975 he recorded the song Ruusuja hopeamaljassa, which resulted the first Platinum Record of Finland. The first championship of couplet and schlager singers was arranged in Helsinki community hall in 1950. Erkki Junkkarinen was voted for the King of Schlager. The most famous schlagers of Junkkarinen are, besides above-mentioned, in 1950's Imatran Inkeri, Harhakuva and Kun yö on valoton; in1970's Pieni hetki, Vesivehmaan jenkka, Kappale kauneinta Suomea and Sinun kanssasi tähtisilmä. Junkkarinen recorded almost 350 songs during half a century. He acquired 11 Gold Records altogether. Artist's State pension was granted to Junkkarinen in 1990. Cutted and translated from http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erkki_Junkkarinen Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.