Lill-Babs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lill-Babs
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Lill-Babs in 1961
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Barbro Margareta Svensson |
| Born | 9 March 1938 Järvsö, Sweden |
| Died | 3 April 2018 (aged 80) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1953–2018 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
Barbro Margareta Svensson (born March 9, 1938 – died April 3, 2018) was a famous Swedish singer, actress, and TV host. She was known by her stage name, Lill-Babs. From the early 1950s until she passed away in 2018, she was one of Sweden's most loved and popular singers. She even represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961. One of her most famous songs was "Är du kär i mej ännu Klas-Göran?" ("Are You Still in Love with Me, Klas-Göran?").
Contents
Becoming Lill-Babs
Barbro Svensson was born in Järvsö, Sweden. This town is about 290 kilometers north of Stockholm. She lived with her parents, Ragnar and Britta Svensson, in a small house. It did not even have running water. Barbro first sang in a church when she was 11 years old. Her first public performance was with her father's friend playing the accordion.
Her first big public show was at Barnens dag in Järvsö in 1953. Soon after, she began singing with Lasse Schönning's orchestra. She became famous after singing on a radio show called Morgonkvisten in 1954. A musician and producer named Simon Brehm heard her. He liked her voice and brought her to Stockholm. There, she started her professional singing career at the Bal Palais restaurant.
Simon Brehm became Barbro's manager. He gave her the stage name "Lill-Babs." This name was a playful nod to another famous singer at the time, Alice Babs. In 1954, Lill-Babs released her first record. It had two songs: "Min mammas boogie" and "Svar till 'Ung och kär'".
Lill-Babs first appeared on television in 1957. In 1958, she started performing in folkparks. These are outdoor parks where artists perform in Sweden. She visited every folk park in Sweden during her long career.
In 1959, Lill-Babs sang "Är du kär i mej ännu Klas-Göran?" written by Stikkan Anderson. This song became a huge hit for her. She also started acting in 1958 in a play called Fly mig en greve. She appeared in movies like Svenska Floyd and En nolla för mycket.
Eurovision and Later Career
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Lill-Babs proudly represented Sweden in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest. She sang the song "April, april". Even though another singer performed it in the Swedish national final, Lill-Babs was chosen to sing it in Cannes. She tried to win the Swedish national final, Melodifestivalen, three times (in 1960, 1961, and 1973), but her own songs did not win. In 1969, she also tried to win the Norwegian national final, Melodi Grand Prix.
After Eurovision, Lill-Babs started a career in West Germany. She acted in several films there. She also released two songs in English for the United States.
In 1963, Lill-Babs met The Beatles. This happened when she was the main guest on a teen music TV show called Drop-In. The Beatles were not very famous yet and even asked for her autograph!
Lill-Babs performed many shows in clubs in big Swedish cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. In 1971, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson from ABBA wrote and produced her hit song "Welcome to the World." All four future members of ABBA sang on this song. In the 1970s, she also acted in a musical called Annie Get Your Gun, playing the role of Annie Oakley.
Television Appearances
Lill-Babs was a special guest on the TV show Här är ditt liv (the Swedish version of "This Is Your Life") in 1983. The host surprised her with many people from her past.
She also hosted several TV shows herself. These included Hemma hos Lill-Babs (1987), Morgonlust (1988), Vem tar vem (1990), and Cocktail (1991). All these shows were on Swedish television (SVT).
In 2010, she was on the TV show Så mycket bättre ("That Much Better"). In 2012, Lill-Babs appeared on Stjärnorna på slottet ("Stars at the Palace"). On this show, she talked about her amazing career. In 2017 and 2018, she acted in the TV series Bonusfamiljen. She played a character named Gugge. The show's script had to be changed after she passed away.
In 2017, a two-part documentary about her life was shown on TV. It was called Lill-Babs, Leva livet ("Lill-Babs, to Live Life").
Later Life and Legacy
Lill-Babs passed away on April 3, 2018. She had been battling cancer and heart failure.
On the day she died, both major Swedish TV channels, SVT and TV4, changed their schedules. They aired special programs about Lill-Babs to honor her. Her funeral was held at Järvsö Church on May 28, 2018. She was buried in the churchyard there.
Personal Life
Lill-Babs was married twice. Her first marriage was to singer Lasse Berghagen from 1965 to 1968. She then married Norwegian footballer Kjell Kaspersen from 1969 to 1973.
She had three daughters: Monica Svensson (born 1955), Malin Berghagen (born 1966), and Kristin Kaspersen (born 1969). Her younger brother, Lasse Svensson, was a drummer for the rock band Tages.
In 1996, she released her autobiography, a book about her own life, called Hon är jag ("She Is I"). In 2017, she was honored by being added to the Swedish Music Hall of Fame. Lill-Babs was also a big fan of the sports club AIK.
Selected Discography
- 1962: Splorr
- 1967: Lill-Babs
- 1971: Välkommen till världen
- 1976: Lev mänska lev
- 1998: Who's Sorry Now
- 2005: Här är jag
Selected Filmography
- 1959: Fly mej en greve
- 1961: Svenska Floyd
- 1962: En nolla för mycket
- 1998: Mulan (Swedish voice for Grandmother Fa)
- 2017: Bonusfamiljen (TV series)
Images for kids
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Lill-Babs in 1961
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Lill-Babs in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Lill-Babs para niños
