Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Agnetha Fältskog
April 5, 1950
Jönköping, Sweden
76 Years Old
Aries
Who Is Agnetha Fältskog?
Agnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish singer and songwriter, renowned for her ethereal soprano voice that graced millions of listeners worldwide. Her distinct vocal quality helped define the iconic sound of 1970s pop.
She first gained widespread attention with her 1968 debut single “Jag var så kär,” a self-penned hit that topped the Swedish charts. This early success set the stage for her global breakthrough with the supergroup ABBA.
Early Life and Education
A warmth for music was instilled early in Agnetha Fältskog’s life in Jönköping, Sweden, largely due to her father Knut Ingvar Fältskog’s passion for local amateur revues. Her mother, Birgit Margareta Johansson, focused on family life, creating a supportive home.
Fältskog began piano lessons at eight and sang in a local church choir before forming a trio with friends in her early teens. She later left school at fifteen to perform with a local dance band.
Notable Relationships
Agnetha Fältskog’s long-term romantic arc includes two marriages that garnered public attention. She married ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus in 1971, and the couple divorced in 1980.
Fältskog later married Swedish surgeon Tomas Sonnenfeld in 1990; that marriage concluded in divorce in 1993. She shares two children, Linda Elin Ulvaeus and Peter Christian Ulvaeus, with her first husband.
Career Highlights
Agnetha Fältskog’s career is most notably defined by her pivotal role in ABBA, one of the best-selling music acts in history, which has sold over 380 million albums and singles globally. Their 1974 Eurovision win with “Waterloo” catapulted them to international stardom.
Beyond ABBA, Fältskog also cultivated a successful solo career, releasing multiple albums in Swedish and English, including the post-ABBA hit album Wrap Your Arms Around Me in 1983, which sold 1.5 million copies. Her most recent solo album, A+, was released in 2023.
She has collected numerous accolades and continues to inspire new generations of artists, cementing her legacy as a pop music icon.
Signature Quote
“I was so tired... and just wanted to be calm and be with my children.”