Background
He grew up in a musical family and became interested in music during his early childhood.
He grew up in a musical family and became interested in music during his early childhood.
He is one of the most influential and remarkable names in Estonian rock music of the past 40 years. While attending in the Tallinn 22nd High School (now Jakob Westholm Gymnasium) he started performing as the choir"s soloist in the early grades. After learning to play guitar, started his musician career as a guitarist in school bands Juuniorid (1965) and Rütmikud (1966).
After serving in the compulsory Soviet Army he became the vocalist of Baltika.
Later he sang in the bands Kärjed, Laine, Muusik Seif, 777 and Ultima Thule. In the 1970s and 1980s, gained big popularity not only in Estonia, but in the whole Soviet Union.
One of his most popular songs Olimpiada (Олимпиада) became a symbol of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1987, he gave his last concert in Russia, after which he returned to Estonia and focused on the Singing Revolution.
Among other patriotic songs of the time, "s song Koit (Estonian for Dawn) became a symbol of freedom.
Since 1996 he has been working in Vanemuine theatre in Tartu. He stood as a candidate in the Estonian parliamentary election in 2007. Currently Tõnis is married to singer Kärt Johanson.
They have two daughters: Liidia (born 1999) and Mirt (born 2004).
In January 2007, Mägi became a member of the political party Estonian Greens.