There's too many things to say here, but I'll share some personal thoughts. USA means so much in my life, all the way back from my childhood 'till today..

As a 5 year old child, I got a cassette tape with Elvis' first RCA album from my uncle for christmas. I listened over and over again, to my dad's big regret. I never looked back, from that moment music got a hold of my soul.

In the 70'ies and 80'ies Norway, where I grew up, USA was always the frontend country in music, style and cool things. As a teenager back then, I grew up learning about the american dream with the poor boy making it in this great world, because free society allowed everyone who were dedicated to make it. You didn't even need others to give you a chance, the dream were that if you were good enough, you'd get ahead.

As a teen, I was very much raised on the backseat of a car, with my parents always on the move. I listened to my Elvis tapes and the radio. Radio played american and british music, and it was like the american dream was in radio itself, in the radio waves floating across the ocean.

Then I remember being in the airforce, having visitors from the US Army for a big excercise. Great guys with lots of energy, carrying the coolest things around. I got to drive the Hummer! Heh, even though I was in my 20ies, that was great fun..

So my first engagement with music was american. My first dreams was american, and even though times have changed, and the naive childhood dreams looks different today, Im fortunate to work with so many wonderful american collaborators, still chasing that american dream I found back then..

Thanks folks, you're just great - best of all, you're fun to be around - Congratulations on this BIG day!