Björn Ulvaeus

The legendary, award-winning musician Björn Ulvaeus is a singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, who is best known as one of the four member of the Swedish supergroup ABBA. He is also famous for composing the musicals Chess, and Mamma Mia!, and for co-producing the blockbuster movies Mamma Mia!, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Born and raised in Sweden, Björn initially studied law at university, and before he gained recognition with ABBA, was a member of the Swedish folk-schlager band The Hootenanny Singers. While touring he struck up a friendship with the group’s keyboard player, Benny Andersson, and started composing together. In 1969 Björn met the 18-year-old singer/songwriter, and his future wife, Agnetha Fältskog, who the previous year had had success with her self-titled debut album. They were later joined by singer/songwriter Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and the quartet set up their own group in 1972, which was originally called Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid, but was then changed to ABBA (the first letters of their names joined together). In 1974, ABBA became Sweden’s first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song Waterloo, and from then on the band went on to become one of the most popular and successful groups of all time, who topped the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982, and in 2022.

After ABBA went on hiatus in 1982, Björn and Benny created the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! The duo went on to share The Special International Ivor Novello Award, The Music Export Prize from the Swedish Ministry of Industry and Trade, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Swedish Music Publishers Association. ABBA reunited in 2018, and in 2021 the group announced a virtual concert residency, ABBA Voyage, which opened in 2022 at the purpose-built ABBA Arena in London.