Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus Then and Now | home
Björn
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus was born to Gunnar and Aina Ulvaeus on
April 25, 1945 on the island of Hisingin of the coast of Göteborg in Sweden.
Björn's father and his fathers 2 brothers were named
Andersson but felt it too common a name and decided among themselves to change it to Ulvaeus.
In 1948 Björns' sister Eva was born. In 1951 the family moved to Västervik.
1950's
Björn was a happy child and loved ice hockey and football. He was a good student
and favored classes in Physics, English and Swedish. in fact, once his English teacher said that he was the best student at English she'd ever had! He began an interest in
poetry at this time also.
His family wasn't really musical. Björn listened to the popular Skiffle music from the 1950's. In 1957 he went to his visit relatives for Jul andme and began playing on the
piano with his cousin Joen.
When he went home he drove his parents crazy wanting some sort of instrument to play too. So when he turned
13 on his next birthday he recieved his first acoustic guitar. With that, Björn and Joen formed a skiffle band. The band would play in local jazz clubs around town. There was another band that played more folk style music that would come play there sometimes.
1960's
When Joen decided to end the skiffle band Björn joined up with the folk group. He was 16 years old. The band line up consisted of Björn, Hansi Schwarz, Johan Karlberg, Håkan Hven and Tony Rooth. At this time they were called The Partners They modeled the group after The Kingston Trio. As soon as they became popular in town they found out there was a more famous national group of that same name and changed theirs to The West Bay Singers. In 1963 Håkan left the group. On Sept.13,1963 The West Bay Singers entered a radio song contest in Göteborg. 
They caught the attention of Bengt Bernhag, the producer of a new record company, Polar Music. He got ahold of them to have them send a tape of their music to him so his partner, Stig Anderson could hear them.....
By the end of Sept. they had a deal with Polar and a new name,
The Hootenanny Singers.
The Beatles were now on the music scene and Björn was thinking that style music was more to his liking, but the Hootenannys were getting popular. They began touring the folkparks for several years. They also recorded records that became popular in Sweden.
Björn also decided to grow his hair more like the"mods" of the time.
Their 4th album had the first songs written by Björn
on it, No Time, and Time to Move Along. The songs did fairly well in Sweden and so it was decided to put an album out in the USA, England and South Africa, The bands name was changed on the album
to Northern Lights. It flopped everywhere except South Africa.
Björn was a teen idol now.
He began to become interested in the buisness end
of record making too.
The last half of the 60's was profitable for the group. But they began to drift apart. In 1967
Björn moved to Stockholm. He started school
at Stockholm University that autumn taking law and buisness classes. The others were studying also. The interest in making music wasn't as intense for the others as it was for Björn.
Soon he began recording solo.
Raring was his 1st single. Sort of a Bobby Goldsboro feel to it. Björn still tried writting songs for the Hootenannys but the style wasn't folk and it was becoming clear that the end was coming as they knew it.
Björn had met Benny Andersson by this time and they were collaberating more and more on songs. Björn was even filling in sometimes in the Hep Stars.
He and Benny were writing songs for them also. Björn was always found in the office doing the paperwork and filling out copyright papers. He was also into the promotion end of the music buisness.
In 1968 Björn was dating Marianne Akerman. It lasted for 8 months and was over.
Björn in photo shoot with Hootenannys
1969
In the spring of 1969 he was invited to appear on a 
TV show dedicated to Jules Sylvain. He met a beautiful
blonde girl on that show and they fell in love. Her name
was Agnetha Fältskog, and Björn was smitten!
And so was she!
1970's
Soon they were living together and scocializing with Benny and Frida. Occasionaly Björn and Benny had Agnetha and Benny's girlfriend
Frida sing back up vocals on their records.
1970
1971
June 1971 magazine with a nice article about the upcoming wedding.
Björn, Agnetha and Benny also toured the folkparks in 1971. During the tour Björn and Agnetha got married in Verum.
July 6, 1971 Agnetha and Björn
marry in the presence of about 300
people, but the crowd outside was close to 3000!
Björn, Agnetha, Benny and Frida appear together on TV for the 1st time singing
California Here I Come
Later the foursome get together and perform as Festfolk
1973
February 23, 1973 Elin Linda Ulvaeus is born. The family is living in
Vallentuna at the time.
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