Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA. He is also the co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! He co-produced the films Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with fellow ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson. He is the oldest member of the group. Björn Kristian Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg on 25 April 1945. In 1951, he moved with his family to Västervik, Kalmar County. His parents were Aina Eliza Viktoria (née Bengtsson; 1909–2005) and Erik Gunnar Ulvaeus (1912–1999). Ulvaeus has one sister, Eva Margareta (born 1948). Ulvaeus studied business and law at Lund University after undertaking his military service, alongside comedian Magnus Holmström. Before gaining international recognition with ABBA, Ulvaeus was a member of the Swedish folk-schlager band Hootenanny Singers, known earlier as the "West Bay Singers", who had an enormous following in Scandinavia. While on the road in southern Sweden in 1966, they encountered the Hep Stars, and Ulvaeus quickly became friends with the group's keyboard player, Benny Andersson. The two musicians shared a passion for songwriting, and each found a composing partner in the other. On meeting again that summer, they composed their first song together: "Isn't It Easy To Say", a song soon to be recorded by Andersson's group. The two continued teaming up for music, helping out each other's bands in the recording studio, and adding guitar or keyboards respectively to the recordings. In 1968, they composed two songs together: "A Flower in My Garden", recorded by Hep Stars, and their first real hit "Ljuva Sextiotal", for which Stig Anderson wrote lyrics. The latter, a cabarét-style ironic song about the 1960s, was submitted for the 1969 Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest, but was rejected; it was later recorded by diva Brita Borg. Another hit came in 1969 with "Speleman", also recorded by Hep Stars. While filming a nostalgic schlager special for television in March 1969, Björn met eighteen-year-old future wife and singer-songwriter Agnetha Fältskog. Björn Ulvaeus continued recording and touring with Hootenanny Singers to great acclaim while working as in-house producer at Polar Record Company (headed by future manager Stig Anderson), with Benny as his new partner. The twosome produced records by other artists and continued writing songs together. Polar artist Arne Lamberts Swedish version of "A Flower in My Garden" ("Fröken Blåklint") was one of Björn & Benny's first in-house productions. In December 1969, they recorded the new song "She's My Kind of Girl", which became their first single as a duo. It was released in March 1970, giving them a minor hit in Sweden and a top-ten hit in Japan two years later. The Hootenanny Singers entered Svensktoppen, the Swedish radio charts, in 1970 with "Omkring Tiggarn Från Luossa", a cover of an old folk-schlager song. It remained on the charts for 52 consecutive weeks, a record which endured until 1990; the song was produced by Björn and Benny, and had Ulvaeus's solo vocal and Benny's piano. ... Source: Article "Björn Ulvaeus" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · ABBA: 50 Years of Pop as Self
- 2024 · ABBA - Vom Popwunder zu Avataren as Self
- 2024 · More ABBA at the BBC as Self (archive material)
- 2024 · ABBA: Against the Odds as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · Stikkan as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · Astrid Lindgrens älskade filmer as Self
- 2024 · Året var 1974 as Self (archive footage)
- 2023 · ABBA Silver, ABBA Gold as Himself
- 2022 · BIANCA as Self - Guest
- 2022 · Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · ABBA V Queen as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · ABBA: New Beginnings as Self
- 2021 · ABBA – Voyage | LIVE as Self
- 2021 · ABBA: The Missing 40 Years as Self
- 2021 · Benjamin's as Himself - Guest
- 2020 · ABBA: In Their Own Words as Self
- 2020 · The A-Z of Eurovision as Self - Contestant (archive footage)
- 2019 · ABBA: Secrets of their Greatest Hits as Self
- 2019 · ABBA Forever: A Celebration as Self
- 2019 · ABBA: Super Troupe as Self
- 2018 · Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as University Professor (uncredited)
- 2016 · ABBA in Pictures: The Photographer's Story as Self
- 2016 · Michael McIntyre's Big Show as Self
- 2016 · Ted Gardestad: For the Sake of Love as Self
- 2015 · The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One as Self
- 2015 · ABBA - ABBA (DVD from Deluxe Edition) as Self - Singer, Composer
- 2014 · ABBA: Gracias por la música as Self
- 2014 · Welcome to Sweden as Self
- 2014 · Beatles på Sverigeturné as Self
- 2013 · ABBA at the BBC as Self
- 2013 · The Joy of ABBA as Self
- 2013 · Agnetha: ABBA & After as Self
- 2012 · ABBA: Dancing Queen as Self
- 2012 · ABBA: The Essential Collection as Self
- 2012 · Thank You for the Music - 40 Jahre ABBA as Self
- 2009 · Skavlan as Self - Guest
- 2008 · Birthing Mamma Mia! as Self
- 2008 · Mamma Mia! as Greek God (uncredited)
- 2007 · Abba: Rock Case Studies as Self
- 2007 · ABBA: The Visitors as Self
- 2006 · ABBA: 16 Hits as Self
- 2005 · Abba - The complete studio recording as Self
- 2005 · Tour d'Eurovision as Self
- 2004 · Super Troupers: Thirty Years of ABBA as Self
- 2004 · ABBA - The Last Video as Björn Ulvaeus
- 2003 · Chess på svenska: The musical that came home as Self
- 2003 · ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits as Self
- 2003 · ABBA: The History as Self
- 2002 · ABBA: The Definitive Collection as Self
- 2001 · Aeschbacher as Self
- 1999 · ABBA: The Winner Takes It All - The ABBA Story as Self
- 1999 · Beckmann as Self
- 1999 · Musikladen Live: The Very Best of ABBA as Self
- 1998 · Fuck You, Fuck You Very Much as Self
- 1998 · Ted - till minne av en popartist as Self (archive footage)
- 1997 · Leute heute as Self
- 1996 · Kristina från Duvemåla - en konsertresa till Minnesota as Self
- 1989 · Chess in Concert as Narrator
- 1984 · Magasinet Special: Chess 1984 as Self
- 1982 · Champs-Elysées as Self - ABBA
- 1981 · ABBA: Words and Music as Self
- 1981 · Wetten, dass..? as Self
- 1980 · Show-Express as Self
- 1979 · ABBA: In Concert as Self
- 1979 · Listen to the Music as Self
- 1979 · Okay as Self
- 1979 · ABBA in Switzerland as Self - ABBA
- 1979 · CBS News Sunday Morning as Self
- 1979 · Det hender ikke meg as Self
- 1978 · ABBA In Japan as Self (Vocals / Guitar)
- 1978 · Olivia as Self
- 1977 · ABBA: The Movie as Björn Ulvaeus
- 1977 · ABBA Veronica Musicspecial as Self (archive footage)
- 1976 · Mike Yarwood In Persons as Self - ABBA
- 1976 · ABBA in Studio 2 as Self
- 1976 · ABBA-dabba-doo as Self
- 1975 · Mr Trendsetter - Stikkan Anderson as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Musical Guest
- 1975 · ABBA: Made in Sweden for Export as Self
- 1975 · Système 2 as Self - ABBA
- 1975 · Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self - ABBA
- 1975 · Midi Première as Self - ABBA
- 1974 · Am laufenden Band as Self - Guest
- 1972 · ABBA - Definitive Collector´s Edition as Sänger/Gitarre
- 1969 · Räkna de lyckliga stunderna blott as Self
- 1966 · Åsa-Nisse in Rocket Form as
- 1964 · Älskling på vift as Hootenanny Singers - vocals and guitar
- 1964 · Die Drehscheibe as Self
- 1959 · Melodifestivalen as Self
- 1956 · Eurovision Song Contest as Self