Ville Hermanni Valo ( born 22 November 1976 ) is a Finnish singer , songwriter and musician , best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM . Influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and Type O Negative , Valo began his career playing bass and drums in various bands around his hometown of Helsinki . In 1991 , he formed HIM , which would go on to become one of the most successful Finnish bands of all time , and the first to receive a gold record in the United States . Valo is also credited as the creator of the heartagram , the band 's trademarked symbol . In 2017 , HIM announced their plans to retire following a farewell tour that same year . The band played their final show on New Year 's Eve 2017
farewell tour
Bang and Whimper 2017 – The Farewell Tour
Ville Valo