Marie Fredriksson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie Fredriksson
Fredriksson in 2014
Born	Gun-Marie Fredriksson (1958-05-30)30 May 1958 Össjö, Scania, Sweden
Died	9 December 2019(2019-12-09) (aged 61) Djursholm, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Occupation	Singer songwriter pianist
Years active	1978–2018
Spouse(s)	Mikael Bolyos ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock
Instruments	Vocals keyboards piano

Gun-Marie Fredriksson (born May 30, 1958 – died December 9, 2019) was a famous Swedish singer, songwriter, and pianist. She was best known around the world as the lead singer of the pop rock duo Roxette. She started Roxette in 1986 with Per Gessle.

Roxette became very successful in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their albums Look Sharp! (1988) and Joyride (1991) were huge hits. They had many songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, including four songs that reached number one.

Before Roxette, Marie had a great music career in Sweden. She was in a punk rock band called Strul. After that, she formed MaMas Barn. Then, she started releasing her own solo music. Her first album, Het vind, came out in 1984. She released more solo albums like Den sjunde vågen (1986) and ... Efter stormen (1987). Even after Roxette became famous, she continued to release solo albums like Den ständiga resan (1992) and I en tid som vår (1996).

In 2002, Marie was diagnosed with a brain tumor. While she was recovering, she kept making music as a solo artist. She released The Change in 2004 and Min bäste vän in 2006. Her song "Där du andas" became her only solo number one hit in Sweden in 2008. Later, she and Per Gessle reunited to make more albums as Roxette. They even went on a worldwide concert tour. Marie also released another solo album in Sweden called Nu! in 2013. She passed away on December 9, 2019, due to health problems from her brain tumor.

Early Life and Music Journey

Marie Fredriksson was born on May 30, 1958, near a small village in Sweden called Össjö. She was the youngest of five children. When she was four, her family moved to Östra Ljungby.

Marie learned to sing and play music when she was young. Her parents worked full-time, so she often spent time with her siblings and friends. They helped her learn about music. Her pastor also encouraged her love for music. She remembered singing hymns in Sunday school, which felt like a great source of freedom.

As a teenager, Marie loved artists like The Beatles and Joni Mitchell. At seventeen, she went to a music school. She wrote music for plays and even performed in a musical she helped create. This musical toured Sweden and was even performed for the Prime Minister.

Music Career Beginnings (1978–1984)

After music school in 1977, Marie moved to Halmstad. She worked in theater and then joined the local music scene. In 1978, she formed a punk rock band called Strul (which means "Hassle" in English). The band even started their own music festival called Strulfestivalen. This festival was very successful for three years.

After Strul broke up, Marie and another band member formed MaMas Barn (meaning "MaMas Children"). They released one album, Barn som barn, in 1982. Even though critics liked it, it didn't sell many copies.

Per Gessle, who would later be her bandmate in Roxette, thought Marie was very talented. He encouraged her to try being a solo artist. She was nervous at first but eventually signed a contract with EMI Sweden. She also sang with the Lasse Lindbom Band and toured Sweden with them. Marie also sang backing vocals for Gyllene Tider's English album, which was released in North America under the name Roxette.

Becoming a Solo Artist and Forming Roxette (1984–1989)

In late 1983, Marie decided to start her solo career. Her first song, "Ännu doftar kärlek" ("Still the Scent of Love"), came out in May 1984 and became a top 20 hit in Sweden. Her first album, Het vind ("Hot Wind"), was released in September.

In 1986, her second solo album, Den sjunde vågen ("The Seventh Wave"), was released and sold over 90,000 copies. Marie won the 1986 Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female Artist.

Meanwhile, Per Gessle's solo music wasn't as popular as his band Gyllene Tider. EMI Sweden suggested he record an English song as a duet with Marie. This led to the song "Neverending Love" under the name Roxette. The song was a big hit in Sweden. Their first album, Pearls of Passion, was very successful in Sweden, selling over 200,000 copies. Roxette went on their first tour in 1987.

Marie released her third solo album, ... Efter stormen ("After the Storm"), in October 1987. It reached number one and sold over 100,000 copies. Roxette released their second album, Look Sharp!, in October 1988. It was also a big hit in Sweden. Marie continued to win awards, including the Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female for four years in a row.

Roxette's Global Success (1989–1992)

In January 1989, Roxette's song "The Look" became a top ten hit in Sweden. Then, something amazing happened: an exchange student from Minnesota, USA, brought the song back home. He asked his local radio station to play it, and it quickly became popular across the US. "The Look" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in just eight weeks! It topped the charts in 25 countries. The album Look Sharp! sold over 9 million copies worldwide.

Roxette had more number one hits in the US, including "Listen to Your Heart". "Dangerous" reached number two.

In 1990, Roxette's song "It Must Have Been Love" was featured in the popular movie Pretty Woman. This song became their third number one hit in the US and is still one of their most famous songs. The next year, Roxette released their album Joyride, which sold over 11 million copies worldwide. The title track, "Joyride", became their fourth number one hit. They promoted the album with a huge worldwide tour called "Join the Joyride! Tour".

More Solo Work and Roxette (1992–2002)

After Roxette's success, Marie returned to her solo music. Her fourth solo album, Den ständiga resan ("The Eternal Journey"), released in October 1992, was very successful. It sold over 185,000 copies in Sweden and was praised by critics. Marie was nominated for three awards at the Grammis (Swedish Grammy Awards) and won Artist of the Year.

Marie also collaborated with her husband, Mikael Bolyos. They recorded songs together, and she performed with his band, Sugarcane, every summer from 1995 to 2002.

Her fifth solo album, I en tid som vår ("In a Time Like Ours"), was released in 1996. The song "Tro" ("Believe") became her longest-charting song in Sweden.

Fredriksson performing as part of Roxette at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on 24 October 2001

Marie and Per worked on new Roxette albums, including Have a Nice Day (1999) and Room Service (2001). Marie was more involved in writing and producing songs for Have a Nice Day, including "Waiting for the Rain," which she wrote herself.

In 2000, Marie released her first greatest hits album, Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000 ("Finally – Marie Fredriksson's Best 1984–2000"). It was one of the best-selling albums in Sweden that year and the next. She promoted it with a tour in Sweden. After the Room Service tour, Marie felt she needed a break from Roxette.

Health Challenges and Creative Comeback (2002–2008)

On September 11, 2002, Marie collapsed at home and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This led to the cancellation of Roxette's planned performances. After surgery and treatment, she began a long recovery. The tumor affected her vision, hearing, and movement, and she couldn't read or write for a while. She also couldn't speak for some time after treatment.

In January 2003, the King of Sweden, Carl Gustaf XVI, honored Roxette with an award. Marie attended the ceremony, which was one of her first public appearances after her operation. In 2005, she shared that she was healthy and no longer receiving treatment.

During her recovery, Marie and her husband started making music together as a form of therapy. Her album The Change was released in 2004 and became a number one hit in Sweden. She also rediscovered her love for drawing and used charcoal to create art. She even drew the cover for The Change and held art exhibitions, where all her paintings sold quickly.

In 2006, she released an album of Swedish cover songs called Min bäste vän ("My Best Friend"). She also worked with Per Gessle again on two new Roxette songs for a greatest hits album. Marie continued to create, releasing a compilation of her Swedish ballads in 2007.

Return to Touring and Roxette Reunion (2008–2018)

Gessle and Fredriksson celebrating the 25th anniversary of "The Look" topping the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2014

In 2008, Marie's song "Där du andas" ("Where You Breathe") became her first number one single in Sweden. In 2009, she joined Per Gessle on stage in Amsterdam for an acoustic performance of Roxette songs. Soon after, they announced Roxette would perform again.

Roxette reunited for a private performance at the Swedish Crown Princess's wedding in 2010. They then went on a seven-date tour in Europe. In 2011, they released their eighth studio album, Charm School, which included the hit "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)". They then started "The Neverending World Tour", their first big world tour in fifteen years, which lasted until 2016. They released another album, Travelling, in 2012.

In 2013, Marie performed "Ännu doftar kärlek" at another royal wedding. In November, she released Nu! ("Now!"), her first album of new Swedish songs since 1996. She also went on a solo tour in Sweden.

Roxette's tenth album, Good Karma, was released in 2016. However, the planned tour for their 30th anniversary was canceled because Marie's doctors advised her to stop touring due to her health. She released a statement thanking her fans. Marie released three more songs as a solo artist between 2017 and 2018.

Personal Life

Marie met her husband, Mikael "Micke" Bolyos, in Australia in December 1991. She said that meeting him helped her handle the challenges of being a famous musician on tour. She felt she was losing herself and needed more private time.

Marie and Mikael got married in a private ceremony in May 1994, with only close family present. They had two children: a daughter named Inez Josefin (born 1993) and a son named Oscar Mikael (born 1996).

Death

Marie Fredriksson passed away on December 9, 2019, at the age of 61. She had battled cancer for 17 years after her brain tumor diagnosis in 2002. Her funeral was private, attended only by her immediate family.

Many people shared tributes to Marie, including the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf. He said that her music was connected to important memories for many people, including his own family. A concert in Marie's memory was held in Gothenburg in January 2020, featuring performances by Per Gessle and Eva Dahlgren.

Posthumous Releases

A previously unreleased solo song called "Sea of Love" was released on the first anniversary of her death. It was recorded in 2017 and was the last song she recorded. Roxette also released an album of unreleased songs and demos called Bag of Trix in December 2020. Another solo song, "Stay", was released in May 2021.

Discography

• Het vind (1984)
• Den sjunde vågen (1986)
• ... Efter stormen (1987)
• Den ständiga resan (1992)
• I en tid som vår (1996)
• The Change (2004)
• Min bäste vän (2006)
• Nu! (2013)

Awards and nominations

• Rockbjörnen Awards

• Swedish Grammy Awards

Images for kids

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  Fredriksson performing in Gävle on 5 August 1987 during Rock runt riket

See also

In Spanish: Marie Fredriksson para niños

• List of Swedes in music