The tragic life and death of Roxette's Marie Fredriksson

"Thanks for painting my black and white songs in the most beautiful colours"

"Thanks for painting my black and white songs in the most beautiful colours. You were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years." That was part of the message that Per Gessle, half of the duo 'Roxette,' dedicated to his bandmate Marie Fredriksson when she passed away on December 9, 2019.

Her name wasn't Roxette

First, it should be clarified that the singer’s name was Gun-Marie Fredriksson, and the group was called 'Roxette.' That's right, no one was named Roxette, although she did become the face of the band.

Born in Sweden

To start from the beginning, we'll have to transport ourselves to Össjö, Sweden, where she was born. She was the youngest of five siblings, as she explained in her biography called 'Listen to My Heart.'

An early passion for music, but also early tragedy

Encouraged by her father, she learned to sing, play the piano, and compose her own songs. But Marie Fredriksson soon learned that her life would not be easy, as she experienced the death of her sister Anna Lisa in a car accident. Her sister was just 20 years old at the time.

'Strul'

In the late 70s, Marie Fredriksson formed 'Strul,' her first band, and later 'MaMas Barn.' In the studio where they rehearsed, she met Per Gessle, who got her an audition with the producer of 'Gyllene Tider,' his band. One meeting was enough for EMI to offer her a contract

'Roxette' was born

Within just a few years, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were considered Sweden’s top musical artists, directly competing with 'ABBA.' They were on the brink of a breakthrough, and the record label set the path for them in 1986, when they would form a duo called 'Roxette.'

'Look Sharp!'

After their first album, 'Pearls Of Passion' (1986), went largely unnoticed, 'Look Sharp!' (1988) arrived, featuring gems like 'Dressed for Success,' 'Listen to Your Heart,' and 'Dangerous,' but most notably, 'The Look,' the hit that opened doors to the United States.

"She's got the look"

'The Look' reached number 1 in the USA in April 1989 and topped charts in 30 other countries. They sold 30 million copies of the single. In just three years, the band had made history, but they still had more to write.

'Pretty Woman' soundtrack

That same year, Touchstone Pictures asked them for a song to include in the 'Pretty Woman' soundtrack. While on tour, Per Gessle sent them a song intended for Christmas: 'It Must Have Been Love.' Their most famous song became part of film history, eternalized in the final kiss scene between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. It was number 1 in 20 countries.

Dominating the 90s

Throughout the decade, the duo dropped four successful albums: 'Joyride' (1991), 'Tourism' (1992), 'Crash! Boom! Bang!' (1994) and 'Have a Nice Day' (1999). It was also a big era for Marie's personal life...

Between tours, weddings, and family

On May 21, 1994, in Sweden, she married musician Mikael Bolyos, with whom she had two children: Inez Josefin and Oscar Mikael. She balanced her personal life with travels, tours, promotions, and recordings.

9/11, 2002

But the 90s passed, the 21st century began, and so did the singer's ordeal. By a twist of fate, on September 11, 2002, after an epileptic seizure, Marie Fredriksson fell and fractured her skull.

A year to live

In the hospital, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given a year to live. Marie Fredriksson was 44 at the time. She was determined not to give up.

Starting from scratch

Chemotherapy left her almost blind in her right eye and deaf in her right ear. She lost short-term memory and had to relearn how to speak, read, and walk. But she worked daily from 2004 to recover.

Music as therapy

According to her memoirs, the pain was unbearable, but music was her greatest comfort. Despite forgetting the lyrics to her songs, she returned to the stage in 2011 for an emotional and memorable performance.

A frustrated comeback

Two years later, she released 'Nu!', her first solo album. In 2016, to celebrate Roxette’s 30th anniversary, the duo announced a world tour that had to be canceled due to her health.

'Good Karma'

Roxette managed to release 'Good Karma' (2016), their tenth and final album, bringing their total album sales to an impressive 75 million.

'Listen to my Heart'

Her life of successes and tragedies was chronicled by journalist Helena von Zweigbergk, who spent two years with Marie Fredriksson to write her memoirs, published in 2019, the year she passed away.