Erik Herseth was a well-known baritone singer when he won his Olympic sailing gold in 1920. After being engaged by Opera Comique in Oslo, he was at the Wiener Volksoper in the years from 1924-28. During this time, he also acted as a correspondent for the Aftonbladet newspaper and did interviews with celebrities such as Josephine Baker. Herseth was also an officer in the Norwegian Air Force, and served in the Norwegian troops in Sweden during World War II. After the war he worked as a singing teacher, and an art dealer and painter under the pseudonym L. Smith. His daughter Astri Herseth became a well-known soprano, singing in the Norwegian State Opera in Oslo for several years.
Norway