What do you do when you´ve created three hit TV shows, broken box-office records, produced a hit record and sold more DVDs than anyone else in your home country? If you are Kristian Valen, the sky´s the limit!

Kristian´s newest - and possibly most exciting - project to date: He has been asked to host Forever Michael - Celebration of an Icon. This red-carpet event is a memorial for Michael Jackson to commemorate the anniversary of his death. Organized by the Jackson Family Foundation, the event takes place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel - the home of the Golden Globes on June 26, 2010. In addition to hosting the show, Kristian has been asked by Mrs. Katherine Jackson (Michael´s mother) to perform his hit single "Still Here" and dedicate it to Michael´s memory. The event will be filmed for worldwide broadcast.

Angel Howansky, long-time Jackson family spokesperson, has this to say about Kristian Valen: "-Kristian is a real and rare talent! He had us laughing from the first meeting and we have all become huge fans of his, both as a big-hearted person and as a world-class artist. He will be perfect for this job since he has both the ability to be funny and serious, and we know that Michael would have loved him! He has everything to become one of the biggest entertainers in the world? Kristian does it all - which is something we have never seen before. We cannot wait to show Kristian to Michael´s fans and the rest of the world! He can impersonate a huge number of world-famous stars and he is a great singer and songwriter, as well; we have really fallen in love with him as a person and artist. We cannot wait to see him on stage!"

When asked about his reaction to being asked to host this prestigious event, Kristian says, "At first I thought they were joking when they asked me! I am so happy to be able to be a part of Michael Jackson´s one-year memorial and to be able to perform for his family, his artist friends and not least of all, his fans!" Hosting an event of this magnitude would have anyone on edge - even a seasoned professional like Kristian. But his concern is to do his best for the Jackson family. Kristian explains, "I am so nervous and hope that I will not embarrass the family and the event organizers who have entrusted me with this responsibility. I would never in my life believe that I, of all people, would be a part of the memorial for one of the most talented and biggest artists who has ever lived! I am so grateful!"

No worries: Kristian has a tradition of rising to the challenge. This self-made, multi-talented artist has never been afraid to put his skills to the test. In fact, going it alone has become a Kristian Valen trademark. From his earliest days as host of a hit radio show in his hometown of Stavanger, Norway, he never took no for an answer. When TV producers said that his show wasn´t right for the airwaves, he proved them wrong by writing, producing and starring in his own comedy show, Valen & De (Valen and Them) - which became the highest-rated program in TV-Norway´s history. When Valen TV was released on DVD, it became Norway´s biggest-selling DVD of all time. And when Kristian decided to create a one-man stage show, he overcame all doubters to sell millions of dollars worth of tickets - and to release another hit DVD of the production. He has followed that up with two more hit TV comedy shows, Valen TV and Frokost TV (Breakfast TV) - both of which topped TV Norway´s ratings and resulted in more hit DVDs. He has also taken his comedy skills to the stage, with the smash hit shows Fartoy Valen (Valen M/S), Musical Chaos and Faster than His Own Shadow. All in all, Kristian´s shows have resulted in ticket sales grossing over US$30 million - and this in a country of 4.8 million people.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Kristian is already making a name for himself outside Norway. He acted in the film Living the Dream, cast as a bad-boy gigolo against actress Sean Young (Blade Runner, David Lynch´s Dune) and his performance has the Hollywood dream machine asking for more. But Kristian also had his eye on another prize: Fulfilling a life-long dream to write and perform his own music.

With the release of Listen When Alone, Kristian not only realized this dream, he also set another standard when the album went gold within five days of its release. Now passed platinum, and having spawned multiple hit singles, Listen When Alone is both a labor of love and a diary of Kristian´s personal experiences. "I knew that I had to make this record," Kristian says. "Even though everyone said it couldn´t be done, I knew that there were people out there who would not only buy the album, but would relate to the music on a personal basis. And once I realized that the traditional music industry didn?t understand what I wanted to do, I decided to do it on my own."

You would think that with Kristian´s track record the powers that be would be more willing to listen to his musical ideas. But in a way, dealing with everything himself has made Kristian an even better artist - and given him invaluable experience when it comes to dealing with the music industry. Kristian has proven that he isn´t afraid to lay both his art and his heart on the line, with excellent results - although he still views his music as a work in process. Listen When Alone is a collection of deeply personal songs that has caught international ears with releases in Asia and Europe. And Kristian is known for pushing the limits by producing videos (among the most-requested in Norway) for the album´s singles which set the standard in innovation and production, while never being afraid to stir up a little controversy. As an example, his video for his song "If I Was" featured NATO forces, and serves as a powerful testament to the effects of war.

When asked whether comedy, acting or music is most important to him, Kristian says, "They are all parts of who I am as a person and as a performer. It´s not about making choices. It´s about communication. Some people relate to me as a comedian, some as an actor, while others relate to me as a musical artist. The important thing is that we are communicating."

One thing that comes across loud and clear: The world is going to hear a lot more from Kristian Valen.