Benny Andersson (full name Göran Bror Benny Andersson) was born just outside Stockholm in 1946. His father and his grandfather were both musicians so Benny was introduced to music at a young age. He started playing the accordion as a young boy and soon showed that he had a natural talent, picking up almost any instrument and learning it with ease. After leaving high school, he joined the popular Swedish beat group The Hepstars. He played with them for several years until they eventually disbanded in the late 1960s. During his time with the band, he met Björn Ulvaeus and the duo began to collaborate.
Following the breakup of The Hepstars, Benny and Björn released their first LP. They invited their respective girlfriends, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog, to join them in a musical touring act called Festfolket. Although this initial collaboration was not a success, the foursome would go on to achieve international fame with their next group, ABBA. From 1972 to 1982, ABBA achieved phenomenal success, with Benny and Björn writing every song the band produced.
After ABBA disbanded, Benny continued to write music with Björn. They initially collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical Chess, which was first released as a concept album in 1984. The duo then worked on a Swedish musical that focused on their fondness for traditional folk music. Kristina från Duvemåla premiered in Malmö, Sweden in 1995 and ran for almost five years. In 1999, the musical Mamma Mia! premiered in London. Based around a catalogue of ABBA hits, the musical was a huge hit around the world and inspired the 2008 film of the same name, and its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Both Benny and Björn had small cameo appearances in both films.
Since 2001, Benny has been active with his own band Benny Anderssons orkester. Benny has two children with his former fiancee, Christina Grönvall. From 1978 to 1981, he was married to ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad. In 1981, he married the Swedish television presenter Mona Nörklit and the couple have one son.
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