Joey Tempest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joey Tempest
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Tempest performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson |
| Born | 19 August 1963 Upplands Väsby, Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
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Joey Tempest, born Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson on August 19, 1963, is a famous Swedish musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Europe. Joey wrote many of Europe's biggest hit songs. These include "The Final Countdown", "Rock the Night", "Cherokee", and "Carrie".
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Joey Tempest's Early Life
Joey Tempest was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 19, 1963. When he was eight years old, he loved to record songs from the radio or TV. He would listen to them again and again. He learned to play the piano. A friend of his dad's taught him three basic chords (A, D, and E) on his sister's guitar.
Joey also enjoyed sports. He played football and ice hockey. He even raced go-karts and once finished fourth in a Swedish championship. Like other members of Europe, Joey grew up in Upplands Väsby, a suburb of Stockholm.
His favorite bands were Thin Lizzy and Led Zeppelin. As a teenager, Joey played in several bands. Some of these were Jet, Blazer, Made in Hong Kong, and Roxanne. In these bands, he sang and also played rhythm guitar or bass.
Joey Tempest's Music Career
Forming the Band Europe
Joey Tempest started performing in 1979. He chose his stage name "Joey Tempest" from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. He also got inspiration from a song called "Sparks of the Tempest" by the band Kansas.
He formed a band called Force with guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. Force quickly became popular in Stockholm. In 1982, they changed their name to Europe. They won a music competition called Rock-SM. The prize was a record deal.
With Joey as the lead singer, Europe released their first album, Europe, in 1983. Their second album, Wings of Tomorrow, came out in 1984.
Europe's Big Hits
During his time with Europe, Joey wrote many international hit songs. "The Final Countdown" was their biggest hit. It reached number one in 26 countries and sold 15 million copies. This song was played at the closing ceremony of the 1987 EuroBasket and the 1988 Summer Olympics. It even became a popular ringtone.
After The Final Countdown, Europe released two more albums: Out of This World (1988) and Prisoners in Paradise (1991). The band then took a break after their last concert in March 1992. They did not perform together again until New Year's Eve, 1999.
Joey Tempest's Solo Music
In 1995, Joey released his first solo album, A Place to Call Home. He called it his "singer/songwriter album." The album was recorded in Stockholm and London. John Norum, his bandmate from Europe, played on one song. Joey also played guitar on the album. A Place to Call Home sold very well in Sweden and other countries.
Later that year, he went on his first solo tour in Europe. The next year, he was nominated for a "Best Swedish Artist" Grammy award. Four songs from the album were released as singles.
Joey's second solo album, Azalea Place, came out in 1997. This album was recorded in Nashville. Joey wrote the songs with other musicians, including Chris Difford and Will Jennings. "The Match" became a very popular song on Swedish radio.
In 2002, Joey released his third solo album, Joey Tempest. He worked with a team called "DeadMono." Other musicians, including former Europe member Mic Michaeli, also helped. Joey said that living in cities like London and Dublin influenced his songwriting.
Europe's Return
About twelve years after their break, Europe announced they were getting back together. The same members who made The Final Countdown rejoined. In 2004, they released their sixth album, Start from the Dark.
Since then, Europe has released several more albums:
- Secret Society (2006)
- Last Look at Eden (2009)
- Bag of Bones (2012)
- War of Kings (2015)
- Walk the Earth (2017)
Joey Tempest's Musical Skills
Joey Tempest played keyboards on Europe's first two albums. In 1984, the band decided to get a full-time keyboard player, Mic Michaeli. A few years before, Joey had borrowed a keyboard from Mic. He used it to write the main keyboard part for "The Final Countdown."
In 1985, Mic and Joey wrote the song "Carrie" together. Later that year, Joey wrote music for a Swedish film called On the Loose. He also wrote a song for a charity project called Swedish Metal Aid.
After Europe took a break in 1992, Joey released his three solo albums. John Norum played on one song on Joey's first solo album. Mic Michaeli also helped write several songs on Joey's third solo album.
In 2024, Joey Tempest sang backing vocals on a song called "§2" for the band Opeth.
Joey Tempest's Personal Life
Joey Tempest lives in London with his wife, Lisa Joy Worthington. They have two sons, James Joakim (born in 2007) and Jack Johnston Larsson (born in 2014). Joey has talked about why he chose to live in London. He does not have his own social media pages. The only official pages are for the band Europe.
When asked if he was ever embarrassed by his old hairstyles or clothes, Joey said no. He explained that they were young and part of the MTV generation. He just wanted to look like Robert Plant.
Joey Tempest's Music Albums
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Solo Studio Albums
- A Place to Call Home (1995)
- Azalea Place (1997)
- Joey Tempest (2002)
Studio Albums with Europe
- Europe (1983)
- Wings of Tomorrow (1984)
- The Final Countdown (1986)
- Out of This World (1988)
- Prisoners in Paradise (1991)
- Start from the Dark (2004)
- Secret Society (2006)
- Last Look at Eden (2009)
- Bag of Bones (2012)
- War of Kings (2015)
- Walk the Earth (2017)
Guest Appearances
- Opeth – The Last Will and Testament (2024) (backing vocals on "§2")
See also
In Spanish: Joey Tempest para niños
