Career
In music he performed both as a solo artist and in the bands Virtanen (with Moog Konttinen), Välikausitakki and Sammas. Elektroninen xstaasi is considered the most famous of Veltto Virtanen"s songs. Välikausitakki was notable for including also Mikko Alatalo, Harri Rinne and later also Juice Leskinen.
After running as an avowed spoiler in the 1994 presidential election, his surprisingly respectable popular vote spurred him to run in the 1995 election for the house of representatives as an essentially independent candidate, and indeed managed to get in.
His terms in the Parliament were characteristically quixotic. The speeches he made being exercises in near-shamanistic eloqution, and counter to parliamentary protocol refusing to bare his head, sporting various headgear, but being most famous for his "artistic" beret.
Although mostly a picturesque spice to the daily routines of the institution, he enjoyed considerable respect from many colleagues in the house. Outside critics of the phenomenon of his political success wrote a muckraking book Huijari - Veltto Virtanen & Kirjava Puolue (publisher: Veitikka Kustannus 1999).
He served two terms but did not run as candidate anymore in the parliamentary elections of 2015
Besides his musical and political career, he has also worked as a motivational speaker, most notably for some winter sports teams.
- Jos perussuomalaiset lähtevät samaan hallitukseen RKP:n kanssa, eroan puolueesta ja oksennan viisi päivää. Virtanen: Hal-00 (1974)
Virtanen: Uusi jääkausi uhkaa (1975)
Kusessa (1976)
Ronkpukki (1978)
Välikaustakki: Välikaustakki (1978)
Tässä seison (1978)
Beibi (1982)
Virtanen: Klassikot - Ne surkeimmat (1990)
Sammas: Sampo-Passio (1990).
