Lars Johan Christian "Lasse" Norres (21 September 1952 – 14 November 2025) was a Finnish music and entertainment industry producer. In the 1980s, he served as the manager of the popular band Dingo and as the informer of the record label Finnlevy. He also worked in his own company called Entertainment Capital Finland Oy (also known as Riopop Oy Ltd. / ECF Oy).
Norres was a member of the board of the organization Lastenklinikoiden Kummit ry, which helps support children's hospitals, from 1999 to 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the "Journalist of the year" award by the Finnish Hot Rod Association FHRA, which was awarded for his significant work in advancing journalism. In 2008, he was awarded the Musiikki & Media award for his 40 years of work in the music industry.Musiikki & Media - historia
Norres was elected to the city council of Vantaa in 2008 and 2012City council - elected candidates, City of Vantaa. Accessed on 4 July 2016. as a candidate from the National Coalition Party and he was a candidate for the Parliament of Finland from the same party in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election.http://www.lassenorres.com/
Career In the early 1970s, Lasse Norres wrote articles about pop music in the magazine Stump.Norres, Lasse: Popista puheenoilen, Stump #2/1970, pp. 13-14. Accessed on 17 June 2026. He worked at Musiikki-Fazer since 1976, and acted as the manager of Kari Tapio, Katri Helena and Paula Koivuniemi.Musiikki- ja viihdealan vaikuttaja Lasse Norres on kuollut, YLE. Accessed on 14 November 2025.
Norres acted as the manager of the popular band Dingo in the 1980s.Norres, Lasse; Nurmi, Paavo (ed.): Kuunaama. Tarinoita tähdistä. Espoo: Mistake Media 2015. . Norres started cooperating with Dingo in 1984 when he was acting as the informer of the record company Finnlevy. Norres quit his job at Finnlevy in 1985 to become the full-time manager of the band Dingo. Together with Dingo, Norres founded the record company Bang Trax and served as its CEO.Anttila, Marika: Lasse Norres on kuollut, Turun Sanomat. Accessed on 20 November 2025.
Disagreements between Norres and Dingo started appearing, for example including the use of money. The band founded a company of their own without Norres's knowledge. In the end, internal disagreements within the band and their growing financial problems led to the band breaking up in October 1986.
Norres also acted as Dingo's manager when the band made a come-back from 1993 to 1994. Norres also acted as Dingo's manager in the early 2000s.Dingo tekee jälleen paluun, Ilta-Sanomat 23 April 2004. Accessed on 19 September 2025.
Norres later said he was disappointed that he is only remembered as the manager of Dingo, even though he has also acted in cooperation of numerous other artists.
The cooperation of Dingo and Lasse Norres was also the subject of the 2024 film My Name Is Dingo. In the film, Norres is played by Elias Salonen. Norres himself thought the character was a failure. According to Norres, the film presents him as more greedy than he really was.Suojanen, Armi: Lasse Norres: Dingo-elokuva antaa minusta väärän kuvan, Vantaan Sanomat 4 January 2025. Accessed on 13 January 2025.Mattila, Mikael: VS: Lasse Norres paukauttaa suorat sanat Dingo-elokuvasta - "Tuntuu kohtuuttomalta", Ilta-Sanomat 4 January 2025. Accessed on 19 September 2025.
In the 1990s, Norres returned to work at Fazer Finnlevy and also worked at the company Warner Music Finland which was founded to replace it. He also led the event companies Riopop Finland and Entertainment Capital Finland that he had founded.
In November 2025 Norres was posthumously awarded the Prominent Cultural Act prize by the city of Vantaa. it was given to him for "prominent actions to liven up the artistic field of the city of Vantaa". Norres was informed of the award already before his death.Lasse Norres palkittiin, Iltalehti. Accessed on 19 November 2025.
Background Norres had a daughter, Christa, born in the early 1990s from a short relationship with a Kenyan woman. Norres was married to Tahiti Liljegren in 1994, but the marriage ended in a divorce only two years later. In 2002 Norres married Sari Poutiainen and they had two children, born in 2000 and 2004.Dingon managerin ja Tahitin riitaisa ero: Lasselle jäi vain skootteri, Iltalehti. Accessed on 16 December 2021.Talvitie, Liisa: Lasse Norres sai puhelun naiselta, joka kertoi olevansa Lassen tytär - nyt Lasse kertoo, mitä tapahtui puhelun jälkeen, Ilta-Sanomat 16 December 2021. Accessed on 16 December 2021.Lasse Norres meni naimisiin 50-vuotispäivänään, Ilta-Sanomat 23 September 2002. Accessed on 16 December 2021. Beginning in 2006, the family lived in Nikinmäki in Vantaa.Mattlar, Mikko: Manageri Lasse Norreksesta tuli koti-ihminen, 70th anniversary interview, Helsingin Sanomat 20 September 2022. Accessed on 20 September 2022.
Norres died on 14 November 2025, at the age of 73.Koivuranta, Riitta: Lasse Norres on kuollut, Helsingin Sanomat 14 November 2025. Accessed on 14 November 2025.
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