I
Marie Fredriksson

About:

30 May 1958

Marie Fredriksson (born in Össjö, Sweden) was the youngest of five children, growing up in a working-class family in the small town of Östra Ljungby. At a concert in 1978, she met a boyfriend, Stefan, and moved to Halmstad and joined his band Strul, which later became 'Mamas Barn', but had little success under either name. A friend she shared a rehearsal studio with, Per Gessle, got her an audition with a famous Swedish record producer, Lasse Lindbom. He signed her up at once, and she began a solo career. Lindbom asked Marie Fredriksson to record a duet with him, 'Så nära nu'. He was impressed with her voice, and she joined his band. Per Gessle started to encourage her to start a solo career. Fredriksson finally accepted, and she recorded her first solo album 'Het vind', produced by Lasse Lindbom. 'Ännu doftar kärlek' was the first single, and it was a big success, as was the album.

Lasse, Marie, Per and Mats 'MP' Persson started a band called 'Spännande Ostar' ('Exciting Cheeses'), which toured during a short time in some clubs. That same year, Marie and Lasse went to the Canary Islands to write songs for Marie's second solo album. The album was released in 1986, under the name 'Den sjunde vågen' In 1986, she teamed up with Per Gessle to form 'Roxette'. Fredriksson was warned against this new career move by friends and her record company, as her solo career was doing very well and Gessles was not. But she went ahead with it anyway, and they had a lot of success in Sweden with the first single 'Neverending love', but failed to generate any interest in other countries. In 1987 she recorded another solo record.

In 1989 Roxette had an unexpected hit in the USA with 'The look'. Almost overnight Fredriksson and Gessle were catapulted from being minor celebrities in Sweden to major artists internationally and suddenly found themselves travelling all over the world, selling millions, and receiving awards. In 1992 Fredriksson returned to her solo career, recording the autobiographical 'Den ständiga resan'. The song 'Ett enda liv' was written about a good friend of hers who committed suicide. During Roxette's worldwide 'Joyride' tour, Fredriksson met a friend of the band, Mikael Bolyos, in Australia. They were engaged within 3 days and Fredriksson was pregnant within a year. She gave birth to their daughter Josefin on 29 April 1993. The Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth has released a cover of the title track off 'Den ständiga resan' on one of the three special editions of their 2008 album 'Watershed'.

In 2002 Marie Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She then endured months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and after that lost the ability to read and count, some vision in her right eye, and some loss of movement in her right side. About 6 months after Fredirisson's cancer diagnosis, she and her husband Micke began to work on her first ever English solo album. She called the album 'The Change'. In 2006 Fredriksson returned with a new cd of Swedish cover songs called 'Min bäste vän' ('My best friend'). During her illness Fredriksson rediscovered her love of drawing. In 2007 she appears on four tracks on the album 'A family affair' by her husband. In 2013 she makes a longawaited return with a new album.

On the web:

- Marie's website: http://www.mariefredriksson.net

What do we think:

PR: Marie has the voice and the looks to become a superstar; and so she did. But she has an other side, she is a singersongwriter that is able to compose mature songs and albums. Forget Roxette and try 'I en tid som vår' or 'Den ständiga resan' and you will discover why Marie is one of the toppers on the europomusic scene.

DB: Marie is mostly known abroad for her work with Roxette. Too bad that in that band she hardly has any contribution then singing. This as opposed to her solo career which is articically much more interesting. Her part in Roxette put me off of appreciating the other side of Marie for years. But the effort of getting to know this side is well worth it. Less glam, less bam but much more long lasting material.

If you like this, you probably like.. / european counterparts:

Luz Casal (Spain)

MIA. (Germany)

Albums:

♪♪ - Het vind - 1984

♪♪ - Den sjunde vågen - 1985

♪♪♪ - Efter stormen - 1987

♪♪♪♪ - Den ständiga resan - 1992

♪♪♪♪♪ - I en tid som vår - 1996

♪♪♪♪ - Äntligen (live) - 2000

♪♪ - The Change - 2004

♪♪♪ - Tid för tystnad - Marie Fredrikssons ballader - 2007

- Nu - 2013

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided