At 78, ABBA’s Benny Andersson Finally Confirms The Truth About Her…

The music, the costumes, the hair, there’s only one ABBA.

And after decades of going their own way, Benny Anderson has been a music legend for decades.

As one of the masterminds behind ABBA, he gave the world songs that still make us sing and dance today.

But behind the glitter and chart topping hits, life wasn’t always easy.

Abba’s breakup hit hard, and Benny faced personal and family struggles that few fans knew about.

He kept most of it private, choosing to let the music speak for him.

But now, at 78, Benny has finally opened up about the truth, about her, about his past, and about what’s really going on with Aba today.

Join us as we take a closer look at Benny’s journey from the start, and see what he has finally confessed.

Early life and first steps in music.

Benny Anderson was born on the 16th of December 1946 in the Vasan district of Stockholm.

His father Gasta Anderson was a civil engineer and his mother was Leila.

He had a younger sister Eva Lease who was born in 1948.

Music was in his blood from the start.

Both his father and grandfather Ephrame played the accordion.

When Benny was 6 years old, they bought him his own accordion and introduced him to Swedish folk music, traditional music, and a style called Schlagger.

He quickly developed a love for all kinds of music.

The first records he owned were Dubis Music by Katarina Valente and Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock.

He especially loved the song Treat Me Nice on the Flip Side because it had a piano.

This mix of different music styles would influence him for the rest of his life.

At the age of 10, Benny got his own piano and taught himself to play.

He was inspired by musicians like Brian Jones.

School didn’t hold his interest for long, so he left at 15 and started performing at youth clubs.

During this time, he met his first girlfriend, Christina Granville.

They had two children together, Peter, born in 1963, and Helen, born in 1965.

In early 1964, Benny and Christina joined a group called Elverett’s Spellman slag, which means the electricity board folk music group.

The name was a playful joke about their electric instruments.

They played mostly instrumental songs like Baby Elephant Walk.

And this was when Benny began writing his first songs, The Hepstars and Rising Fame.

In October 1964, Benny’s career took a big step forward when he joined the pop band, the Hepstars as their keyboardist.

Just a few months later, in March 1965, the band had their breakthrough with the hit song Cadillac.

The Hears quickly became one of the most famous Swedish pop bands of the 1960s.

Benny became not just their keyboard player, but also the main musical force behind the group, as well as a teen idol.

At first, the band played mostly cover versions of international hits, but Benny soon began writing songs for them.

He gave the band several big hits, including No Response, Sunny Girl, Wedding, Consolation, It’s Nice to Be Back, and She Will Love You.

These songs helped shape their identity and proved Benny’s talent for creating memorable music.

Benny met Bujorn Ulves in June 1966, and the two quickly began writing songs together.

Their first song was Isn’t it easy to say which was later recorded by the Hepstars.

Benny also worked with Lassabberg Hogan and together they wrote several songs.

One of their entries, Hedgeclown, came second in the 1969 Melody Festival.

Sweden’s Eurovvision Song Contest finals.

That same event changed Benny’s life in another way.

He met singer Ani Freed Lingad and they soon became a couple.

Around the same time, Bjornne met singer Agnetha Falskcog.

These personal relationships naturally led to the close collaboration between the four of them in the years that followed.

Benny and Bjornne scored their first songwriting hits in 1969 with Louva Sexatal for Britta Borg and Spelman for the Heep Stars.

As the two couples began helping each other in recording sessions, the powerful blend of Agnea and Annie Fred’s voices convinced Benny and Bejorn to model their group after successful mixed vocal acts of the time.

Benny’s connection with Annie Fred also grew through music.

He produced her 1969 single Peter Pan and later her debut album Freda in 1971.

She kept busy with reviews and cabaret shows in Stockholm, while Agnatha starred in the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972.

By the early 1970s, all four were supporting each other’s music careers, laying the foundation for something bigger, the beginning of ABBA.

The first time the four performed together was in April 1970 during a trip to Cyprus.

They sang for fun on the beach, but it turned into an impromptu concert for United Nations soldiers stationed there.

Around that time, Benny and Bejorn were recording their first joint album, Licka, with Agnatha and Annie Fred, providing backing vocals on several tracks.

Later that year, they launched a stage act called Fest Focus, which means party people, but can also mean engaged couples.

They debuted it on the 1st of November 1970 in Goththingberg.

The show received mostly negative reviews except for their performance of Hedge Gam Man, Hello Old Man, which became their first hit together.

Credited to Bjorn and Benny, the song reached number five on the sales charts and stayed at number one on Senskappen for 15 weeks.

By 1971, the four were working together more often, adding vocals to each other’s songs and touring.

Benny and Bjorn released more singles like date khan ingen Dr.

Halpa no doctor can help with that and tank om yordan vorong imagine if earth was young with Agnetha and Annie Frereded’s voices playing a bigger role in the summer of 1971 Agnetha and bejorn now married began performing regularly with Benny at Swedish folk parks Anderson the head of polar music believed strongly that Benny and Bejorn could achieve worldwide success.

He encouraged them to keep writing and after some near misses they entered the 1972 melody festival with sagd date met and sang say it with a song which came third and became a hit in Sweden.

Then an unexpected success came from Japan where their song she’s my kind of girl made it into the top 10 in 1972.

The real spark came in June 1972 when they released People Need Love with Agnatha and Annie Frerieded featured more prominently.

It was credited to Bejorn and Benny Agnatha and Anifered.

And while it only reached number 17 in Sweden, it was enough to prove they had something special.

It even charted in the United States, marking the first small step toward what would soon become ABBA’s worldwide success.

Ring Ring and the birth of the name ABBA.

In 1973, the group still going by the long name Bjorn and Benny Agnatha and Ani Freed entered Melod Festalin again with their song Ring Ring.

Producer Michael B.

Treattow gave the track a special wall of sound feel that would later become ABBA’s signature.

The song was also given English lyrics by Neil Sedica and Phil Cody.

Many thought it would win, but it only came third in the contest.

Even though it didn’t make it to Eurovision, the song and album Ring Ring became hits in several European countries and in South Africa.

That same year, Agnatha had her daughter Linda and was briefly replaced by Inger Brun for a trip to West Germany.

Around this time, manager Stig Anderson decided the group needed a shorter name.

He began calling them ABBA, a playful nod to a Swedish fish canning company of the same name.

Permission was granted as long as the band didn’t bring shame to the brand.

ABBA was simply the first letters of each member’s first name, and by late 1973, it appeared on studio paperwork.

A few years later, their famous logo with the backwards B was created during a photo shoot when Benny accidentally held his letter the wrong way, inspiring the final design.

By 1976, the mirrored B became a permanent part of ABBA’s image.

Waterlue in the breakthrough years.

In 1974, ABBA were invited to compete again in Melody Dai Festival.

They chose the upbeat Waterlue, influenced by the glam rock scene in the UK.

This time, they were more experienced and better prepared.

On the 9th of February 1974, they won the Swedish selection and on the 6th of April, they took the Eurovvision Song Contest Crown performing in English.

The win opened doors across Europe.

Waterlue hit number one in nine countries and broke into the US top 10, reaching number six.

Their next single, Honey Honey, had moderate success.

But in the UK, their label chose to re-release Ring Ring instead.

Some began wondering if they were just a one- hit wonder.

In late 1974, they toured parts of Europe, but not all shows sold out, forcing some cancellations.

Things changed in early 1975 when they toured Scandinavia and played to packed venues.

They continued releasing singles including SOS and MMA Mia which became massive hits in Europe and Australia.

In Australia, their songs dominated the charts thanks to TV’s Countdown.

Mama Mia stayed at number one for 10 weeks.

By early 1976, ABBA had become a household name in many countries.

Although breaking into the US album market was still difficult.

In March 1976, ABBA released Greatest Hits, their first UK number one album, which included the new song Fernando.

It became one of their biggest hits ever, topping charts in at least 13 countries and selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Later that year, they released Arrival, which took their success to a new level.

The album included Money, Money, Money, Knowing Me, Knowing You, and their most famous hit, Dancing Queen, which topped charts globally, including in the United States.

In January 1977, they launched their first major tour, starting in Norway and traveling through Europe before heading to Australia.

There they played for huge crowds despite challenges like heavy rain and even a bomb scare in Perth.

The Australian tour was so intense it was later captured in ABBA the movie.

By the end of 1977 they released ABBA the album alongside the movie.

Then in April 1979 ABBA released Voules Vu recorded partly in Miami’s famous Criteria Studios.

It included hits like Chikatita, I have a dream and does your mother know.

While the singles didn’t all reach number one in the UK, they were chart toppers in Belgium and popular in many other countries.

Later that year, they released greatest hits Valden 2, which featured Gimme Gimme Gimme, A Man After Midnight, another international hit.

In September 1979, they began ABBA, the tour in North America playing to soldout arenas.

The tour continued in Europe, including Six Nights at London’s Wembley Arena.

In 1980, they traveled to Japan for 11 soldout concerts, their last major tour.

That July, they released The Winner Takes It All, which many thought reflected Bjorn and Agnesa’s divorce, though both denied it was personal.

In November, they released Super Trooper, which broke UK records with over a million pre-orders.

Its title track was their final UK number one.

Around this time, ABBA also recorded Gracias Porla Musa, a Spanish language album that became hugely popular in Latin America and opened up a new audience for the group.

Their music had now reached every corner of the globe, but their story still had more to unfold.

The visitors and the beginning of the end.

In January 1981, Bjorn Olvas married Lena Kerjo and ABBA’s manager Stig Anderson turned 50.

For his birthday, the group recorded a special song called Hovas Vitna as a tribute.

Only 200 red vinyl copies were made and given to guests, making it one of ABBA’s rarest records.

Just a month later, Benny Anderson and Annie Fred Lingstad announced they were divorcing.

It was revealed their marriage had been difficult for years, and Benny had already met Mona Norlet, whom he married in November that same year.

Despite personal struggles, Anderson and Ulves began songwriting in early 1981, and by March, the group was recording again.

In April, they filmed Dick Cavet Meets ABBA, a TV special.

Their new album, The Visitors, came out later in 1981.

It was a more mature record dealing with themes like failed relationships, political oppression, aging, and loss of innocence.

The title track even hinted at secret meetings against totalitarian governments.

One of Us was the only major single from the album and became ABBA’s last number one in Germany and their final top three hit in the UK.

The album topped charts in many European countries, but didn’t match earlier commercial success in places like France, Australia, and Japan.

Another track, When All Is Said and Done, was released in North America and became ABBA’s final top 40 hit in the US.

It also touched on separation, but in a more hopeful tone.

With Benny and Freda’s divorce now public, rumors grew about tensions within the group.

Recording struggles and final singles.

In spring 1982, the group began new songwriting sessions.

There were talks about a new album and even a small tour.

But by May and June, the process was proving difficult.

They only managed to record three songs.

You owe me one, I am the city, and just like that, Benny and Bjornne weren’t happy with the results, so the recordings were shelved, and the group took a summer break.

In August, plans changed.

Instead of a new album, they decided to release a compilation called The Singles: The First 10 Years for Christmas, which would include all their previous hits, plus some new songs.

In October and December, they released The Day Before You Came with Cassandra as the B-side and Under Attack with You Owe Me as the B-side.

The Day Before You Came became a top five hit in several European countries, but in the UK, neither it nor Under Attack made the top 20.

The compilation album, however, went to number one in the UK and Belgium and performed well in countries like Germany and the Netherlands.

Under Attack ended up being ABBA’s final single before they disbanded.

I Am the City was eventually released in 1993, while Just Like That was never released in full despite fan requests.

Parts of it were reworked for other projects like the musical Chess.

Benny and Bejorn have continued to refuse releasing the complete ABBA version even though it has appeared on bootlegs over the years.

The last appearances to promote the singles the first 10 years.

ABBA traveled to London in November 1982, appearing on shows like Saturday Supererstore and the Late Late Breakfast Show.

The following week, they went to West Germany to perform on Show Express.

On the 19th of November 1982, they made their final TV appearance in Sweden on the show Noyas Mascinan.

Then on the 11th of December 1982, they performed together for the very last time.

This was broadcast to the UK on the late late breakfast show with Noel Edmunds through a live link from a TV studio in Stockholm.

It marked the end of an era, closing the chapter on one of the most successful pop groups the world had ever seen.

The two love stories that defined ABBA.

You see, Abba was more than just a band with catchy songs and glittering costumes.

They were two real life couples.

Agnith Falskog with Bjorn Ulvas and Benny Anderson with Annie Freed Freda Lingstad.

Their romance stories were part of Abba’s charm in the early 1970s.

Fans loved the idea that the same people singing love songs on stage went home together at night.

Agnitha met Bujorn in 1968 when he was with the Hootini singers.

They married in July 1971 with Benny playing the organ at their wedding.

They had their daughter Linda in 1973 and son Peter in 1977.

But fame wasn’t always kind.

Touring and constant pressure put a strain on their marriage.

In 1979, at the height of Aba’s success, they split.

The breakup was painful for Agnitha, who later said she needed therapy.

Reports claim Bjornne had a new girlfriend, Lena Kerjo.

within a week.

Around this time, Bejorn wrote, “The winner takes it all.

” Which Agnatha sang with lines like, “Tell me, does she kiss like I used to kiss you?” She admitted it was emotional, but said, “It was fantastic to do that song because I could put in such feeling.

” While they told the media it was a happy divorce, Agnatha later said, “Obviously, we all know there are no such things as happy divorces, especially when there are children involved.

” Benny and Freda’s story began in 1969 and they were living together by 1971.

They didn’t marry until October 1978 when Abba was at its peak.

But just 2 years later in 1980, they separated.

Benny told reporters they were still friends, but the real reason became clear.

He had met another woman, TV producer Mona Norlet, whom he married in 1981.

Freda said they decided to be completely honest about their problems.

She explained, “We simply grew out of each other.

Breaking up became a necessity.

Like Agnatha and Bjorn, they tried to continue in Abba after their split, but the chemistry had changed.

By 1982, both marriages were over, and so was Abba’s golden run, life after the breakups.

When Aba ended, Bejorn and Benny stayed busy and hugely successful.

They wrote the hit musical Chess, worked on Mamma Mia for stage and film, and produced music for other artists.

Their fame and fortunes kept growing with each worth hundreds of millions.

Freda and Agnatha’s lives took a different path away from the spotlight and filled with personal struggles.

Agnatha battled stage fright, a fear of flying, and the pain of being away from her children during tours.

Her shyness and weaker English compared to the others made her feel less confident in public.

After her split from Bejorn, she had several relationships, including with a psychiatrist who had once tried to save her marriage and a detective who was protecting her children from kidnap threats.

She remarried in 1990 to surgeon Thomas Sunenfeld, keeping it secret until they divorced 3 years later.

Tragedy struck when her mother took her own life, followed by her father’s death a year later.

Agnitha became more withdrawn, avoiding public life and even music.

In one of the strangest turns in her life, she began a relationship with Ge Vandergraph, a Dutch fan who had stalked her for years.

She later admitted, “I felt I could not resist anymore.

I wanted to know him.

” The relationship ended badly with GE returning to stalk her again after their split, leading her to seek court protection.

Agnitha eventually moved deep into the Swedish countryside, living in seclusion much like Swedish legend Greta Garbo.

Even saying at one point, “I want to be alone.

” For years, she didn’t sing or even listen to music until surprising fans in 2004 with a new album, My Coloring Book.

But just as quickly, she stepped back from the public eye again.

Freda’s journey through loss and change.

Freda’s story carried its own shadows.

She was the child of a wartime romance between her Norwegian mother and a German soldier during World War II.

Her mother, Ciney, was just 16 when she met Alfred, a married vermached sergeant.

Food was scarce, and he brought her a sack of potatoes, a gift that led to a brief relationship.

Freda was born in 1945, but her father was sent back to Germany before meeting her.

Facing public shame in Norway, Ciney fled to Sweden with baby Freda and her mother, Agny.

Tragically, Ciney died of kidney failure at 21, leaving Freda to be raised by her grandmother.

She grew up believing her father had drowned until a reunion was arranged in 1977 after his niece recognized her from an interview.

The meeting was short-lived with Freda saying, “It’s difficult to get a father when you’re 32 years old.

” By the time she met Benny in 1969, Freda had already been married and divorced with two children from her first marriage.

She and Benny married in 1978, but after their split in 1981, she was deeply hurt to see him marry someone else so quickly.

After Abba ended, she moved to London, then settled in Switzerland.

In 1992, she married into German royalty, becoming her serene highness, Princess Anifered of Royce.

But tragedy followed her.

Her 30-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident in New York in 1998.

and the next year her husband Prince Hinrich died of cancer.

Freda withdrew from public life saying her faith helped her through the pain.

In more recent years she has found happiness again in Zerat, Switzerland with Viccount Hamilton, heir to the WH Smith fortune, the long road to reunion.

After ABBA’s split, the idea of a reunion became music’s most asked question.

Offers poured in, including a reported $1 billion dollar in the early 2000s for a concert series, which they turned down.

For decades, they were only seen together at rare events like the Mamma Mia, musical, and movie premieres.

But in 2018, something changed.

All four began talking about working together again.

At first, they planned just two new songs, but this grew into a full album, Voyage, released in 2021.

Bjornne recalled the first day back in the studio saying, “I looked around and I looked into Agnea’s eyes and Freda’s eyes, and there was the same kind of feeling, the warmth and the friendship and the bonds.

” They also announced a high-tech concert experience with digital avatars performing in London, giving fans a new way to see the group.

Aba Voyage, a modern stage for timeless music.

Abba Voyage first opened in 2022, and it’s not your typical concert.

Instead of the band performing live, fans watch digital avatars of the four members as they looked in their 1970s glory days.

The holographic show plays inside a customuilt arena in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Park in London, the site of the 2012 Olympics.

The set list is packed with crowd favorites like Dancing Queen, Waterlue, and Mamma Mia, and the high techch production makes it feel as though ABBA are right there in the room.

The project has been a massive hit both with audiences and financially.

According to a new report, Abba Voyage has pumped £322 million into the British economy with more than a million tickets sold at prices up to 181.

50.

And it’s not just the numbers.

The show has kept ABBA’s music alive for new generations while giving longtime fans a nostalgic thrill.

For the third anniversary starting May 27th, the production introduced a little added something to the set list, giving returning visitors a fresh reason to come back.

While Agnatha Falskog and Bjorn Uveos couldn’t be there for the anniversary, Benny and Freda’s appearance gave the celebration an emotional touch.

It showed that even after decades, breakups, and life changes, Aba’s story is still being written, not just through their music, but in moments like these, where the past and present stand together on the same stage.

Speaking of which, on May 27th, 2025, something special happened at ABBA’s Voyage show in London.

Benny’s heartfelt words about Freda.

Benny Anderson, now 78, and his former wife and bandmate, Freda Lingstad, 79, made an unannounced appearance to mark the concert’s third anniversary.

The crowd went wild when they saw the two standing together in the balcony, a rare sight since their marriage ended over four decades ago.

Benny in a printed blazer and Freda, dressed in a chic cream outfit, stood side by side as the cheers filled the venue.

Taking the microphone first, Freda smiled warmly and told the audience, “I love you very much.

Thank you for all your support over the years.

It’s hard to imagine it’s nearly 50 years ago.

” She then added with a laugh, “I’m turning 80 this year.

” Which sparked even louder applause.

Her words felt like a bridge across the years, acknowledging the long journey from Aba’s beginnings to this moment.

Benny then stepped up and instead of a serious comment, he lightened the mood with a playful, “Two men walk into a bar,” making Freda burst into laughter.

For fans, it was more than just a joke.

It was a reminder of their easy connection and history together.

They had first met in 1969, moved in together soon after, and married in 1978 during the height of Aba’s fame.

But staying together while being in one of the world’s biggest bands proved difficult.

By 1980, their marriage had ended and the divorce was finalized the next year.

At the time, Benny admitted, “Freda and I are still friends.

We decided to stay together for the sake of the music.

” Freda explained honestly, “We simply grew out of each other.

” After long and hard talks, we decided to go our separate ways.

There was a lot of tears and a lot of discussions, but there was no way back.

Breaking up became a necessity.

Their appearance at Voyage and Benny’s warm, light-hearted moment was the kind of public gesture that felt like a quiet revelation about how much respect and affection still remains between them.

While Abba Voyage continues its sellout run in London, Benny Anderson and Bjornas are making waves on Broadway.

Later in 2025, two of their biggest stage hits, Mamma Mia and Chess will run at the same time.

Mama Mia premiered in London in 1999, arrived on Broadway in 2001, and has since been seen by over 70 million people in 50 productions in 16 languages.

It became Broadway’s ninth longest running show, playing 14 years with 5,773 performances and grossing more than 7 billion.

Now it returns to the Winter Garden Theater for a limited run from August 2nd, 2025 to February 1st, 2026.

Chess, co-created in the 1980s, will join it on the Broadway stage, having both shows play simultaneously highlights the enduring strength of Benny and Bjorn’s partnership, a creative bond that has thrived through Aba’s breakup and personal challenges, continuing to connect their music to generations of fans worldwide.

Do you think Aba’s marriages and divorces were the main reason the band broke up, or would it have happened anyway? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to hit like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more incredible stories from Hollywood’s fascinating history.

See you next time.