Roxette Lead Singer Marie Fredriksson (1958-2019)

[Zoneboy]

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50730052

Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson has died aged 61, her manager has confirmed.

The Swedish star achieved global success in the 1990s with hits including The Look, Joyride and It Must Have Been Love.

A statement said the singer had died on Monday, 9 December "following a 17-year long battle with cancer".

"You were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years," her bandmate Per Gessle said. "Things will never be the same."

Hailing from Halmstad, Sweden, the musicians first met in the late 1970s, when Fredriksson was a member of the pop combo Strul & Ma Mas Barn and Gessle played with Gyllene Tider, one of Sweden's biggest groups.

They teamed up in 1986, becoming huge stars in their homeland with the single Neverending Love, followed by an album, Pearls of Passion.

Despite their popularity in Scandinavia, Capitol Records declined to release their records in the US - and it wasn't until an American student studying in Sweden brought a copy of their second album home to Minneapolis and persuaded a local radio DJ to play The Look that they achieved international fame.

The Look became the first of four US number ones for the band, while its parent album, Look Sharp!, went platinum.

They achieved their biggest success when their 1987 Christmas single, It Must Have Been Love, was re-written for inclusion on the Pretty Woman soundtrack in 1990. It topped the charts in more than 10 countries, and gave the band their biggest UK hit, reaching number three.

'Full of fear'
Roxette continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1990s - eventually selling more than 80m record worldwide. Known for breezy pop hits like Dressed For Success and power ballads such as Listen To Your Heart, they cheekily summarised their songwriting philosophy in the title to their 1995 greatest hits album, Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus.

After a brief hiatus, during which Gessle reunited with Gyllene Tider, the duo scored further hit albums with 1999's Have a Nice Day, and 2001's Room Service.

The singer retired from touring in 2015
However, in 2002, Fredriksson collapsed in her kitchen after finishing a workout; and doctors found she had a brain tumour.

She spent three years receiving treatment, and wrote about the "fear" she felt in a solo record called, The Change.

"Suddenly the change was here," she sang, "Cold as ice and full of fear / There was nothing I could do / I saw slow motion pictures / Of me and you."

In 2005, Fredriksson told Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper her treatment had been successful, saying: "It's been three really hard years [but] I'm healthy."

The singer took up painting during her treatment, but surprised Roxette fans by making a surprise return to the stage with Gessle in Amsterdam in 2008.

The band later staged a comeback tour that sold out venues across Europe, and released several new albums but, by 2016, her health was failing and doctors advised her to stop touring.

In her autobiography, the singer spoke about the impact cancer had on her life.

"At last, it feels like I have reconciled myself to having a radiation injury to live with. That this is how it turned out," she wrote in The Love Of Life.

"I have lost many years through the disease. And it is also a sadness to age. But every day I think I'm grateful to be sitting here. And that I can still sing."

The singer died on Monday following a recurrence of "her previous illness", her family said.

"Marie leaves us a grand musical legacy," said her manager Marie Dimberg, confirming the star's death.

"Her amazing voice - both strong and sensitive - and her magical live performances will be remembered by all of us who were lucky enough to witness them. But we also remember a wonderful person with a huge appetite for life, and woman with a very big heart who cared for everybody she met."

"Thank you, Marie, thanks for everything," added Gessle. "You were an outstanding musician, a master of the voice, an amazing performer. Thanks for painting my black and white songs in the most beautiful colours. You were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years.

"I'm proud, honoured and happy to have been able to share so much of your time, talent, warmth, generosity and sense of humour. All my love goes out to you and your family."

Fredriksson is survived by her husband Mikael Bolyos and their two children.

[Zoneboy]

[HuntingtonM15]

This is horribly devastating news. I had a really bad feeling this news wouldn't be too far off, but still, I had hoped for some miraculous recovery. What a voice, what an icon, so many classic songs. She will be truly missed.

May she RIP.

[Hawkee]

In the music industry Europe was a common continent to find upcoming artists and bands hoping to make their marks in America such as The Beatles from the UK and singer Sacha Distel from France and the start of the British Invasion that made British singers and bands huge in America. But in Sweden it was hard to find Swedish bands and singers that would become a success on American shores but all that changed when ABBA made their mark making them one of the successful Swedish bands when they came to America and soon Sweden became a new country were singers and bands made their marketing debuts in America. Roxette is one of those bands that had always tried to be successful around the world and with Marie Fredriksson as the lead singer that is what made Roxette what it was. From the time the song It Must Have Been Love became a monster hit in 1991 when it was released on the Pretty Woman soundtrack and featured in the movie it helped Roxette become one of the successful bands of the 90's. My first exposure to Roxette was when the song The Look was featured in an episode of CBS's Cold Case and I later got the Look Sharp album for Christmas and I thought Roxette's music was hip and Marie Fredriksson was so cool as the lead singer. If it wasn't for Roxette Sweden would've not become the new place for new and upcoming bands and singers such as the group Ace Of Base and singer Robyn and other Scandinavian singers to become successful in America
Bestie

[AB]

Rest in peace.

[80sTrivia]

Such sad news... Loved her voice and the beautiful songs she recorded with Roxette...

[ABlairican Pie]

I enjoyed Roxette's hits "She's Got the Look" and "Dangerous" back in the 80's. She did have quite a look with the platinum blonde pixie-cut, the voice and moves in her videos.

I read that after she was diagnosed her brain tumor, she was unable to do math. This was a serious situation showing how devastating and debilitating such illnesses can affect us mentally and physiologically.

[Edward216]

I was so shocked and saddened when I heard the news Tuesday. I've been a big Roxette fan ever since the first time I heard The Look on the radio back in 89. I have all of their albums and most of my favorite songs of theirs are the ones that Marie sang lead on. I love everything about Roxette and she was one of the best female singers ever. Rest in peace Marie, I'll miss you.

Ed.

[RetroGuy2000]

I am so sorry to hear this. Marie was an incredible talent. Her voice was amazing. I had suspected this was coming when they cancelled their tour.

My favorite Roxette song was "Fading Like a Flower", but they had dozens of great songs.

[Edward216]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I am so sorry to hear this. Marie was an incredible talent. Her voice was amazing. I had suspected this was coming when they cancelled their tour.

My favorite Roxette song was "Fading Like a Flower", but they had dozens of great songs.

Yeah that's one of their best. My favorite song of theirs is Listen To Your Heart.

Ed.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Edward216

Yeah that's one of their best. My favorite song of theirs is Listen To Your Heart.

Ed.

That's another classic!

[MA]

My favorite song by them is It Must Have Been Love.