Haapanen played on all the band’s records and continued gigging until the last few days.
Melrose– band’s drummer Jami Haapanen is dead. He was 60 years old.
Information about Haapanen’s death was confirmed to HS by a Melrose gig seller on Thursday. Melrose last performed in Helsinki on the Sixth Line last Saturday. The band’s next performance was scheduled to be on Saturday, May 4 at the Rock Night event in Tali’s bowling hall.
Jarmo “Jami” Haapanen joined Melrose in 1984, and he has played on all the band’s records. His energetic playing has been an essential part of the sound of the three-piece Melrose together with the band’s founder, Mika “Tokela” Tuokkolan with vocals and guitar playing.
Thursday night Tuokkola wrote Facebook service in a public update about Haapanen’s death.
“Jami Haapanen slept off last night on his own balcony peacefully. Fortunately so, and not with pain and suffering. During the last year, Jami had problems with movement and blood circulation, although it was not mentioned in the song. Not once did I hear it properly complain about it, even if there was a reason, it fell upside down many times in the winter, but it never hurt anything,” Tuokkola writes.
“It was never unclear to me and the rest of the band members who is the best and most skilled player in the band, it was always Jami Haapanen and I made it clear to Jami very often. From the beginning, Jami’s playing was loud, swinging and precise,” continues Tuokkola.
Alun Originally from Länsimäki in Vantaa, Melrose rose to popularity in 1986 with their unique sound that combined rockabilly, hard rock and punk. For years it was one of the most popular rock bands in Finland and also toured abroad.
The band performed Aki Kaurismäki in the movie Hamlet in the business world in 1987 and again In the lights of Laitakaupunki in 2006. Aki Kaurismäki has also used Melrose’s music in his other films.
Melrose carried on after their biggest commercial success faded, and has been touring hard without much break.