The 1974 Eurovision Music Contest (EMC) winners were from Sweden, and they ABBA, were the first ever from that venue to achieve international pop music stardom.
In fact, in the entire 62 year history of that pan-European event, they are the only winners to have achieved international acclaim, until the Canadian-born, Celine Dion, representing Switzerland, reprised that feat in 1988.
Agnetha Faltskog, the beautiful blond mainstay of the quartet, became something of a recluse after the breakup of the group in 1982. She divorced her long-time husband, fellow band member, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and bought an island off of her native Sweden, to which she retired and where she became something of a recluse.
She married a medical doctor - with absolutely no publicity and they quietly divorced.
In 2013, Agnetha made an unanticipated re-emergence, recording a new album of original material, entitled "A"." A review of which we published on these pages, back then -- see:
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2013/05/abbas-agnetha-faltskog-with-new-release.html
Despite their rather antagonistic divorces, Agnetha and Bjorn as well as Anna Frieda and Benny, buried the hatchet and rejoined for the first time on stage in more than 20 years, in 2005 at the Stockholm world premiere of the musical, MAMMA MIA, based on their entire body of musical work.
Agnetha Faltskog just released an entirely original single just 4 months ago, entitled, THE LAST TIME - wow, does she look great for her age. Must be something in the Swedish water:
And here is ABBA's first ever appearance on American TV, performing their early hit, SOS on the legendary, Dick Clark's, American Bandstand:
You can get more on the legendary Europop supergroup, ABBA at any number of our earlier articles on them:
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-greatest-europop-group-of-all-time.html
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-abba-was-schlager.html
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2014/04/schlager-stars-celebrate-abbas-40th.html
or at the ABBA fan club:
http://www.abbafanclub.com/
 |
| ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog 2018 |
In fact, in the entire 62 year history of that pan-European event, they are the only winners to have achieved international acclaim, until the Canadian-born, Celine Dion, representing Switzerland, reprised that feat in 1988.
Agnetha Faltskog, the beautiful blond mainstay of the quartet, became something of a recluse after the breakup of the group in 1982. She divorced her long-time husband, fellow band member, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and bought an island off of her native Sweden, to which she retired and where she became something of a recluse.
She married a medical doctor - with absolutely no publicity and they quietly divorced.
In 2013, Agnetha made an unanticipated re-emergence, recording a new album of original material, entitled "A"." A review of which we published on these pages, back then -- see:
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2013/05/abbas-agnetha-faltskog-with-new-release.html
Despite their rather antagonistic divorces, Agnetha and Bjorn as well as Anna Frieda and Benny, buried the hatchet and rejoined for the first time on stage in more than 20 years, in 2005 at the Stockholm world premiere of the musical, MAMMA MIA, based on their entire body of musical work.
Agnetha Faltskog just released an entirely original single just 4 months ago, entitled, THE LAST TIME - wow, does she look great for her age. Must be something in the Swedish water:
And here is ABBA's first ever appearance on American TV, performing their early hit, SOS on the legendary, Dick Clark's, American Bandstand:
You can get more on the legendary Europop supergroup, ABBA at any number of our earlier articles on them:
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-greatest-europop-group-of-all-time.html
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-abba-was-schlager.html
https://chicagoschlager.blogspot.com/2014/04/schlager-stars-celebrate-abbas-40th.html
or at the ABBA fan club:
http://www.abbafanclub.com/