Benny Andersson - Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile

Biography

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Göran Bror Benny Andersson (born in Stockholm on December 16 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer and a member of the Swedish musical group, ABBA.

Benny was born to 34-year-old constructional engineer Göran Andersson and his 26-year-old wife Laila. His sister Eva-Lis Andersson followed in 1948.

Andersson's musical background came from his father and grandfather; both enjoyed playing the accordion. At the age of six Benny Andersson got an accordion of his own. Father Gösta and grandfather Efraim taught him Swedish folk music. When Andersson was ten he had one or two piano lessons. He left school at the age of fifteen and began to perform at youth clubs. This is when he met his first girlfriend Christina Grönvall. They never got married but did have two children: Peter in 1963 and Helen in 1965.

In 1964 Andersson became the keyboard player of the rock 'n roll group Hep Stars. In 1965 he started to write material for the band, such as the number one hit Sunny Girl.

In the summer of 1969 Andersson met Anni-Frid Lyngstad at the same time as Björn Ulvaeus met Agnetha Fältskog. Andersson was engaged to Lyngstad for about 9 years. They married in 1978 but got divorced in 1981. The personal relationships and Andersson's and Ulvaeus's composition has led quite naturally to the very close co-operation which the four friends have had during the previous two years.

One week after his divorce from Lyngstad in November 1981 Andersson married Swedish TV presenter Mona Nörklit. Their son, Ludvig, was born in January 1982.

After being a member of Hep Stars and later ABBA Andersson has created the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla (based on the Immigrant novels by Swedish writer Vilhelm Moberg) (currently in workshops for an English production on Broadway), and Mamma Mia! (based on existing ABBA songs), all of these together with Björn Ulvaeus.

Andersson performs folk music on the accordion together with Orsa Spelmän. Since the late nineties Andersson has mostly played with his band Benny Anderssons orkester (Benny Andersson's orchestra/band) with Helen Sjöholm from Kristina from Duvemåla on vocals - with lyrics written by his song-writing partner and best-friend of 40 years, Björn Ulvaeus.

Together with Ulvaeus, Andersson was nominated for Drama Desk Award in a category Outstanding Music (for the musical Chess) and for Tony Award in a category Best Orchestrations (for musical Mamma Mia!). Original Cast recordings of both musicals were nominated for Grammy Award.

During his post-ABBA career Andersson won four Swedish Grammis Awards, and together with Ulvaeus received the Special International Ivor Novello Award from The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters , the Music Export Prize from the Swedish Government, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Swedish Music Publishers Association (SMFF). In 2002, Andersson was given an honorary professorship by the Swedish Government for his "ability to create high-class music reaching people around the world".

Discography

Solo albums

Klinga mina klockor (1987)
November 1989 (1989)

With Benny Anderssons Orkester

Benny Anderssons Orkester (2001)
BAO! (2004)
BAO! on Tour (2006)

With Orsa Spelmän

Orsa Spelmän (1988)
Fiolen Min (1990)
Ödra (1998)

External links

Mono Music (Benny's record label)
Profile
ABBA photo book Big collection of spectacular band photography
A Tribute to Frida Stunning collection of images of the brunette ABBA beauty
Benny Fact File
Profile Page
Another Biography