Björn Ulvaeus

Björn Kristian Ulvaeus ( born April 25, 1945 in Gothenburg ) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and music producer. He was a member of the Swedish pop group ABBA.

Career

Ulvaeus grew up in the Southeast Swedish town of Västervik, where his parents and Aina Gunnar Ulvaeus moved when he was six years old. There he attended high school until 1964. Since 1964 he was a guitarist in a folk band called " West Bay Singers", which was renamed from Stikkan Anderson, who took the first band under his label " Polar Music " under contract, in " Hootenanny Singers" ( 1963-1973 ). In 1966, he met Benny Andersson, a then well-known in Sweden as a member of the teen band " Hep Stars" musician. Ulvaeus had just begun to study law, precipitated as during a tour of the guitarist of " Hep Stars". Ulvaeus abandoned his studies and concentrated on the music. The two became close friends and fellow musicians. Their friendship and musical collaboration on today and they are considered one of the most significant composition duos in pop and rock music of the 20th century.

1969 met Ulvaeus Agnetha Fältskog know the singer. Both were married on July 6, 1971 in the southern Swedish village Verum. They have two children together: Linda (* 1973 ) and Peter Christian ( born 1977 ). Christmas 1978, Fältskog and Ulvaeus parted. In January 1979, they filed for divorce, which was pronounced in July 1980. However lancer they worked until the dissolution of ABBA in early 1982 on together.

After the victory of ABBA at the Euro Vision Song Contest 1974 in Brighton with the song Waterloo Ulvaeus had in common with Fältskog, Andersson and his partner Anni- Frid Lyngstad world's great musical and commercial success. To date, have been sold worldwide estimated about 380 million records of ABBA. The texts of the songs of ABBA originate almost exclusively by Björn Ulvaeus.

After the separation of ABBA Ulvaeus and Andersson began in 1983 to write the musical Chess, which had 1986 in London's West End and on Broadway premiere in 1988. In 1995 had jointly composed musical Kristina från Duvemåla in Malmö premiere and there great success. The next project by Björn was the production of the musical "Mamma Mia ," which had its premiere in London in 1999 and has since been performed throughout the world successfully in many other cities. The musical is based on the most successful hits of ABBA, and was filmed in 2008.

Since May 2013, in Stockholm enter the Abba Museum ( " Abba the Museum "). Björn Ulvaeus has made ​​significant contributions to the conception and to finance the project. Since Ulvaeus is a great friend of cashless payment transactions, it is not possible in the museum to pay with cash.

Since January 6, 1981 Ulvaeus is married to his second wife Lena Källersjö, with whom he also has two children, Emma ( b. 1982 ) and Anna (* 1986). In the 1980s they lived six years in a country estate in England, where Ulvaeus and his brother ran a computer company. Since 1990, the family moved back to Stockholm and Ulvaeus in a holiday villa on the island Viggsö.

Ulvaeus is an avowed atheist and since 2005 a member of the Swedish Humanist Association Humanist Erna, the part of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. For his humanist commitment, he was honored in 2006 by the Association with the Hedenius price.

Last Björn worked with Benny Andersson at the CD version of their latest musical production " Hjälp sökes " which had on February 8, 2013 Stockholm premiere, the CD was released in September 2013.