Marie Fredriksson — Biography

Gun-Marie Fredriksson rose to prominence as the compelling voice behind the global sensation Roxette, a pop-rock partnership she launched in 1986 alongside Per Gessle. Their ascendancy to international fame occurred in the late eighties and early nineties, propelled by acclaimed albums like Look Sharp! and Joyride, which spawned a string of chart-topping hits in the United States, including four songs that reached the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100. Long before achieving Roxette's widespread recognition, Fredriksson cultivated a flourishing career in her homeland. She was part of the punk collective Strul, a group that impressively organized its own music festival in 1979. Following Strul's disbandment, she moved on to MaMas Barn, a project that proved brief, paving the way for her solo endeavors. Her debut solo album, Het vind, arrived in 1984, preceding Den sjunde vågen in 1986 and ...Efter stormen in 1987. Roxette's global triumph coincided with a period where Fredriksson largely focused on the duo, with her solo output limited to the standalone single "Sparvöga" in 1989. She later returned to solo recordings with Den ständiga resan in 1992 and I en tid som vår in 1996. In 2002, a home fainting spell led to the diagnosis of a brain tumor. Despite her health challenges and subsequent recovery, Fredriksson continued to create music as a solo artist. This period yielded the albums The Change in 2004 and Min bäste vän in 2006, along with the single "Där du andas" in 2008, which marked her sole solo number one hit in Sweden. Fredriksson and Gessle later rekindled their collaboration for additional Roxette albums and an extensive world tour. She also maintained her solo work in Sweden, releasing the album Nu! in 2013. Tragically, Gun-Marie Fredriksson passed away on December 9, 2019, due to complications arising from the brain tumor she was diagnosed with in 2002.