Vexi Salmi

Veikko Olavi "Vexi" Salmi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈʋeksi ˈsɑlmi]; born 21 September 1942) is a Finnish lyricist. He has written the lyrics to numerous popular songs for several prominent artists, including Irwin Goodman, Jari Sillanpää, and Katri Helena. His career as a lyricist began in the 1960s, and continues to the present day. During his prolific career, he has written the lyrics for over 4,000 songs, more than 2,400 of which have been recorded. In addition to song lyrics, he has authored several novels and one collection of poetry. Salmi's recent work also includes collaborating with Ilkka Lipsanen on a 60th anniversary album, and he also acts as a judge in a television programme on music lyrics. Salmi was awarded the Juha Vainio Writer's Award in 1993 for his long and successful career as a lyricist. Another music writer's award, the Vexi Salmi Award, was named after him in 2003.