- Is born in USA, but have lived most of his life in Norway.
- Educated as a journalist. Worked for Associated Press between 1953-1955, BBC 1955-1958, and NRK (Norsk Rikskringkasting) since 1958.
- Is also a musican (singer) and is well known for his folk-songs.
- Joined the Norwegian resistance movement under World War II.
- Is one of Norway's most famous TV celebrities. He was also one of the very first to became famous on TV in Norway.
- NRK - is short for "Norsk Rikskringkasting" which means:"Norwegian National Broadcasting (corporation)"
- A huge nature-lover, each year at his cabin, he always tried to get the small birds in the area to eat out of his hand. They always came, right up until the last year of his life.
- After befriending an African village chief in Ghana, the chief named his son after him.
- Among his many awards are three Norwegian Grammys (Spelemannsprisen) for 1972, 1981 and 2003, Doctor of Letters Midland College (USA), Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav (highest order in Norway), the Icelandic Falk Order (Iceland) and the Distinguished International Alumni Award (USA).
- In 1961, when he and the producers were trying to come up with fresh new ideas for his TV-show "Vi går ombord" they decided to use Norwegian sailors to drop bottled messages around the world, encouraging the recipients to answer back. One of the answers came from Andoalu Kwejan II, tribal chief of the coastal village of Ngelekazo in Ghana. As a result the chief was invited to Norway in March of 1962 for the TV-show but it also turned out to be the beginning of a life-long friendship between the Norwegian TV-star Bye and the African tribal chief. Shortly after, when Bye visited the village of Ngelekazo for the first time he made sure they got electricity, something that changed the village forever. The friendship between the two was again underlined when the Chief named his son 'Erik Bye Anman'. Later the Chief's grandson was also named 'Erik Bye'. The last time (the original) Erik Bye visited the village was in 1997. The original chief had passed away, but his family and the rest of the villagers all treated Bye as a king. He stayed there for two weeks before leaving with tears in his eyes, knowing it would be the last time he saw his African friends.
- Back in the 1960s when the subject of Down's syndrome was considered taboo, he invited several guests with Down's Syndrome. They were there not because of their condition but to perform a number from a musical act they did, and he treated them like he would any other guests. Later he received a letter from a woman who said that after watching that show she finally dared to take her child with Down's Syndrome out in public. Bye later commented that just that one letter made it all worth while.
- Among the most memorable moments he created for Norwegian television was when legendary singer Josephine Baker was a guest on his show, and they performed an intimate duet of "Honeysuckle Rose", just a few years before she died.
- His funeral was attended by leading members of the Norwegian government, His Majesty King Harald and the US ambassador to Norway.
- On the day of his funeral, Friday October 22nd 2004, flags were lowered to half mast on all official buildings in Norway, including the office of the Prime Minister. The funeral service was broadcast live on national TV, on Norway's largest network (NRK).
- On the day of his funeral (Friday October 22nd 2004) at exactly 15:00, all ships under Norwegian flag around the globe blew their horns as a tribute to Bye.
- In 1994 he hosted the first ever Nobel Peace Prize Concert. As the Oslo-based show has grown considerable in size, later hosts have been Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and in 2004; Oprah Winfrey and Tom Cruise.
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