Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad[a] KVO1kl (born 15 November 1945), also known simply as Frida, is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen are also in use due to her third marriage. Born in Bjørkåsen (Ballangen), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden, and started her first solo career there, as a jazz singer in 1967, through a talent competition called New Faces.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad
15 November 1945
Bjørkåsen, Ballangen, Norway
2
Reuss (by marriage)
Frida
Torshälla, Eskilstuna, Sweden
- Pop
- jazz
- Vocals
1958–present
- His Master's Voice (1967)
- Columbia (EMI) (1968–1972)
- Polar (1972–1984)
- Anderson (1996)
She won the competition with her song "En ledig dag", leading to a television appearance on Hylands Hörna on Dagen H; as a result, she was signed by EMI, and in turn was signed by Stig Anderson's record label, Polar Music, after years of releasing several singles and an album, Frida under the earlier record label. She then had moderate success in Sweden, as she was a contestant for Melodifestivalen 1969 with her song "Härlig är vår jord". Lyngstad did not reach international fame, however, until she joined ABBA, who have sold over 150 million albums and singles worldwide, making the group, which included her second husband Benny Andersson, one of the best-selling music acts in history.
After the break-up of ABBA, she continued an international solo singing career with mixed success, releasing the albums Something's Going On (1982) and Shine (1984); the latter being her last international album. In 1996, Lyngstad recorded her final album in Swedish, Djupa andetag (Deep Breaths), released by Anderson Records, before retiring from music.
Early life[edit]
Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad[1] was born on 15 November 1945 in Bjørkåsen, a small village in Ballangen near Narvik, in northern Norway, to a Norwegian mother, 19-year-old Synni Lyngstad (19 June 1926 – 28 September 1947), and a German father, Alfred Haase (29 June 1919 – 23 February 2009), who was a sergeant in the Wehrmacht, not long after the end of the Second World War and the German occupation of Norway.[2] Haase had returned to Germany when his unit was evacuated.[2]
In early 1947, Anni-Frid, her mother Synni, and her maternal grandmother, Arntine "Anni" Lyngstad, left their birthplace in Norway, fearing reprisals against those who had dealings with the Germans during the occupation.[2] Anni-Frid was taken by her grandmother to Sweden, where they settled in the region of Härjedalen. Her grandmother took any available job while living there, whereas Synni remained in Norway and worked for a time in the south of the country. Synni joined her mother and daughter in Sweden, and the three moved to Malmköping (72 km from Stockholm). Synni died of kidney failure soon afterward, aged 21 years, leaving Anni-Frid to be raised solely by her grandmother.[1]
In June 1949, they both relocated to Torshälla, outside Eskilstuna, where Anni worked as a seamstress. Anni-Frid grew up in Torshälla and began to attend school in August 1952. During her childhood, Anni-Frid had close contact with her family, particularly her uncle and four aunts, at her birthplace during the summer holidays. She was close to her aunt, Olive, who once stated that she saw how lonely and subdued Anni-Frid was, and who consequently always did her best to make her feel loved and welcomed during her visits.
According to Lyngstad, her father, Alfred Haase, had died while returning to Germany from the war. His ship was reported to have been sunk. However, in 1977, the German teen magazine Bravo published a poster and a complete biography with details of Lyngstad's background, including the names of her mother and father. It was seen by Lyngstad's half-brother, Peter Haase, who went to his father and asked him if he had been in Ballangen during the war. A few months later, Lyngstad met Haase in Stockholm for the first time.[3]
Career[edit]
1958–1969: Early work[edit]
Lyngstad stated in several interviews that her grandmother frequently sang songs to her (such as old Norwegian songs), which resulted in her love for music. She showed musical talent at a very early age from her earliest school years. On Fridays, she was often asked by her teacher to sing in front of the class and soon became known in school and in the neighbourhood for her beautiful voice. Although her grandmother encouraged her to sing (according to Lyngstad herself), she never attended any of her performances. Her grandmother died shortly before ABBA formed and therefore never witnessed the success of the group.
In 1964, Lyngstad won a national singing contest 'Flugan' (The Fly) and was awarded 'Vocalist of the Year'.[32] In September 1967, Lyngstad won the 'Barnens Dag' contest held at Skansen, Stockholm. This led to her TV debut and a recording contract with EMI.[33] In 1982, Lyngstad won the Swedish music prize Rockbjörnen for Best Female Artist[34] She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of ABBA in 2010,[35] and she represented the group in their acceptance speech, along with Benny Andersson.[36] In 2014, she was awarded with the Eskilstuna Music Prize for her "pioneering career" and significant contribution to popular music as an "icon" who had "left an indelible imprint in musical history".[20]
On 21 March 2024, all four members of ABBA were appointed Commander, First Class, of the Royal Order of Vasa by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. This was the first time, in almost 50 years, that the Swedish Royal Orders of Knighthood had been bestowed on Swedes, also the 50th anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision Song Contest. The group members shared the honour with nine other people.[37]
Title and style[edit]
Upon her marriage to Prince Heinrich in 1992, she took on a new name and became Princess Anni-Frid Synni of Reuss, Countess of Plauen,[39] shortened to Anni-Frid Reuss.[24] Since his death in 1999 Anni-Frid became the Dowager Princess and Countess, now called Princess Anni-Frid, Dowager Countess of Plauen.[40][41] She is entitled to the style of Serene Highness.