Benny Andersson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benny Andersson
KVO1kl
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Andersson in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Göran Bror Benny Andersson
16 December 1946 Stockholm, Sweden
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Partner(s) | Christina Grönvall (1961–1966) |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Signature | |
 |
|
Göran Bror Benny Andersson (born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer, and producer. He is most famous for being a member of the pop group ABBA. He also helped write the music for popular musicals like Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!.
Benny was also an executive producer for the Mamma Mia! movie in 2008 and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, in 2018. Since 2001, he has been playing music with his own band, Benny Anderssons orkester.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Benny Andersson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 16 December 1946. His father and grandfather were both musicians who loved playing the accordion. Benny got his own accordion when he was six years old. They taught him Swedish folk music and traditional songs.
When Benny was ten, he got a piano and taught himself how to play it. He left school at 15 and started performing in youth clubs. He had two children, Peter and Heléne. In 1964, Benny joined a band called "Elverkets Spelmanslag." They mostly played instrumental songs, and Benny started writing his own music.
Music Career
The Hep Stars (1964–1969)
In October 1964, Benny became the keyboard player for a band called Hep Stars. They became very popular in Sweden in 1965 with their hit song "Cadillac." The Hep Stars were one of the most famous Swedish pop bands of the 1960s. Benny was a key part of the band, writing many of their classic songs like "Sunny Girl" and "Wedding."
Before ABBA (1969–1972)
Benny met Björn Ulvaeus in 1966, and they started writing songs together. Their first song was "Isn't It Easy To Say." Benny also wrote songs with Lasse Berghagen. One of their songs, "Hej, Clown," came in second place at the 1969 Melodifestivalen, which is Sweden's competition to choose a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
At this contest, Benny met singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Around the same time, Björn met singer Agnetha Fältskog. These four friends started working closely together. Benny and Björn wrote their first hit songs in 1969. As the two couples sang together during recording sessions, they realized their voices sounded great as a group. This is how ABBA began.
ABBA (1972–1982)
ABBA became famous worldwide after winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with their song "Waterloo" on 6 April 1974. For the next eight years, Benny and Björn wrote and produced eight studio albums for ABBA. The group had many No. 1 hit songs around the world.
Benny sang the lead vocal on only one ABBA song, "Suzy-Hang-Around," from the Waterloo album.
After ABBA: Musicals and Solo Work (1983–present)
After ABBA, Benny continued to write music with Björn Ulvaeus. Their first big project was the musical Chess, which they wrote with Tim Rice. The album for Chess came out in 1984 and sold two million copies. Songs like "I Know Him So Well" and "One Night in Bangkok" became huge hits.
Chess was performed in London in 1986 and ran for about three years.
In 1987, Benny released his first solo album called Klinga Mina Klockor (which means "Chime, My Bells"). He played the accordion on the album, with other musicians playing fiddles. He released a second solo album, November 1989, later.
Benny also wrote the introduction music for the European football championship in 1992, which was held in Sweden.
He had an idea for a big Swedish musical based on traditional folk music. In 1995, Kristina från Duvemåla opened in Sweden. This musical was based on famous Swedish novels. It was very successful and ran for almost five years. An English version, called Kristina, was performed in New York City and London.
Benny's next project was Mamma Mia!, a musical that uses 24 of ABBA's songs. This musical became a huge success around the world, with shows in many different languages.
In 2008, a film version of Mamma Mia! was released. Benny helped record the ABBA songs for the movie soundtrack. Mamma Mia! The Movie became the most successful film musical ever at that time.
Benny Anderssons Orkester (2001–present)
Benny now performs with his own band of 16 musicians, called Benny Anderssons Orkester (BAO), which means "Benny Andersson's Orchestra." The band includes singers Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg. Björn Ulvaeus sometimes writes the lyrics for their new songs. BAO has released several successful albums in Sweden.
In 2009, BAO set a new record in Sweden. Their song "Du är min man" ("You Are My Man"), sung by Helen Sjöholm, stayed on the Swedish music chart for 243 weeks.
New Songs and Projects
Benny continues to write new music, mostly for his band BAO. He also revisits his older songs, like for the Mamma Mia! musical.
In 2009, BAO, also known as "The Benny Andersson Band," released their first international album, The Story of a Heart. This album included some of Benny's older songs with new English lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus.
Benny and Björn also wrote the anthem for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2015, Benny released Kärlekens Tid, an album of his songs performed in a choral style. In 2018, he released Piano, an album where he plays ABBA songs, Chess tunes, and his own compositions on a solo piano.
Benny reunited with ABBA in 2018. On 2 September 2021, ABBA announced their new virtual concert show, "ABBA Voyage", and a new album with the same name. This was their first studio album in 40 years. The Voyage album was released on 5 November 2021. The "ABBA Voyage" show opened in London on 27 May 2022.
Film Music
Benny has also composed music for films. In 1987, he wrote music for the film Mio in the Land of Faraway. He also wrote music for the Swedish films Songs from the Second Floor (2000) and You, the Living (2007).
In 2012, he wrote the music for the documentary film Palme, about Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. He won an award for Best Original Score for this film.
Awards and Recognition
Benny Andersson has received many awards for his music. With Björn Ulvaeus, he was nominated for awards for the musical Chess and for the orchestrations of Mamma Mia!. The original cast recordings of both musicals were nominated for a Grammy Award.
Benny has won four Swedish Grammis awards. He and Björn have also received special international awards from 'The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters'. In 2002, the Swedish Government made Benny an honorary professor for creating "high-class music reaching people around the world."
In 2007, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University for his important contributions to Swedish folk music.
On 15 March 2010, Benny accepted ABBA's award for being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He spoke about how Swedish folk music and the feeling of melancholy influenced ABBA's pop music.
In 2018, he received the Opus Klassik award for his album Piano.
On 21 March 2024, all four members of ABBA were given a special honor by the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf. They were appointed Commander, First Class, of the Royal Order of Vasa. This was a very special event, as it was the first time in almost 50 years that this Swedish honor was given to Swedish citizens. It also happened on the 50th anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision Song Contest.
Sweden: Royal Order of Vasa, Commander First Class (21 March 2024)
Personal Life
Benny Andersson has three children: Peter, Heléne, and Ludvig. His son Peter Grönvall later formed a band called One More Time, which had success in Europe.
Benny was in a relationship with Anni-Frid Lyngstad from ABBA for about 11 years. They married in 1978 and divorced in 1981.
In 1981, he married Swedish TV presenter Mona Nörklit. Their son, Ludvig, is also a music producer and helped with the "ABBA Voyage" concert show.
Discography
Also appears on
- Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia (3CD, Nascente 2011)
Images for kids
-
Benny Andersson during the opening of ABBA The Museum in 2013.
-
Benny Andersson at Stockholm University in 2008.
-
Benny Andersson with Anni-Frid Lyngstad in 1976.
See also
In Spanish: Benny Andersson para niños
- List of Swedes in music
