Sir Christus
The stoic rhythmic backbone of Finnish glam rock band Negative, whose life was shadowed by the early loss of his own rock star father.
1978–2017 (age 39)·Finnish musician·Birthday: April 10·Generation X
Biography
Born Christus Mikkonen, the man who would become Sir Christus was immersed in rock 'n' roll from infancy. His father was Arwo Mikkonen, guitarist for the legendary Finnish rock band Popeda. That inheritance was tragically cut short when Arwo died in a car accident in 1986, leaving eight-year-old Christus and his younger brother without their father. He channeled that loss into music, picking up the guitar and eventually co-founding the glam rock outfit Negative in 1997. As the band's rhythm guitarist, he was the steady, less-flashy counterpoint to frontman Jonne Aaron's pyrotechnic stage presence, providing the thick, driving chords that powered their anthems. Negative rose to become one of Finland's most successful rock acts of the 2000s, with Christus a constant, brooding presence on stage until his departure in 2009. His later years were troubled, and he died in 2017, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with Finland's rock history across two generations.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sir was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sir Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Sir's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2017Died at 39
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- He was a founding member and the rhythm guitarist for Negative during their peak commercial success in the 2000s.
- He performed on and co-wrote songs for all of Negative's first four studio albums, including the platinum-selling 'Sweet & Deceitful.'
- He helped define the distinctive guitar sound of the Finnish glam rock scene in the early 2000s.
Did You Know?
His stage name, Sir Christus, was inspired by a character in the anime series 'Fist of the North Star.'
His father, Arwo Mikkonen, was a founding member of the influential Finnish rock band Popeda.
After leaving Negative, he played in a band called The Skreppers with his brother, Matthau.
“Rock 'n' roll is the only family business I ever wanted.”
