ABBA Star's Devastating Memory Loss: Remembers Little Of His Fame

As a new generation of fans discover Abba thanks to the phenomenal success of the hit film Mamma Mia, one of the foursome has revealed he is suffering from memory loss.

Bjorn Ulvaeus, who was married to his blonde co-star Agnetha Faltskog at the height of their fame, cannot even remember the highlights of Abba's fame.

The Swedish group rocketed into the British pop charts in 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with their song Waterloo - a triumph Ulvaeus says he can no longer recall.
Bjorn

'It is like I was not even there,' the 58-year-old father of four said.

'People ask me if I am going to write my memoirs. But even if I wanted to, I would not be able. I have extremely few memories.'

Ulvaeus composed the music for the Mamma Mia! stage musical with Abba co-star Benny Andersson and makes a brief uncredited appearance as a Greek god in the film, which stars Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.

The movie has sparked an Abba revival and the four band mates were reunited for the first time in 22 years at the Stockholm premier earlier this month.
Bjorn

But despite the renewed adulation, Ulvaeus says he simply cannot remember great chunks of his life. He has met old school friends to see if they can help him piece together his childhood and even turned to hypnosis in an attempt to find a cure - so far, in vain.

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Ulvaeus, who divorced Agnetha in 1979 and is now married to Swedish music journalist Lena Kallersjo, the mother of his two youngest daughters, has studied old photographs and video to try and remember his life.

Explaining the immediate aftermath of Abba's Eurovision song contest, Ulvaeus said: 'Many remember that very moment, where they were, what they did and even how they felt. But not me.
ABBA

'It is unbelievable but I do not remember standing on the stage. It is like I was not even there.

'In interviews I said that my trousers were so tight I could not even sit in the bus on the way to the arena. But I honestly do not know if that is true or it is someone who told me about it.'

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Comments

[tjkreidler]

I'm 60 years old and cut my teeth on rock and roll. I remember seeing Elvis on Ed Sullivan on a hot, muggy September night. I remember the music of the Coasters, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, the Stones. I carried anti-war signs in the streets to the soundtrack of the late sixties. I had an epiphany the first time I saw Springsteen. Rock and Roll has been my life. And ABBA has been one of my guilty pleasures that I've never admitted to anyone. They had an incredible ear for melody and harmony. Their music is happiness.

[43P04T34]

The planet and I agree with you.

[NTO08]

It was FUN music, not deep, not profound, just fun...it captured the spirit of AM radio in the 70s...Wate­rloo was wonderful to hear when it first appeared on radio in the States in 1974 and was their first US Number 1.

[StanTheManic]

As long as his agent remembers where to mail the royalty checks ...

[XCITIZEN]

So WHY is he experiencing memory loss? There must be a diagnosis. Or maybe psychological trauma of some kind?

[grailknight]

Trauma, he was in ABBA.

[booker52]

How sad.

[Fuji]

I wish I could un-see that picture.

[Ariadne]

So, there is a merciful God.

[43P04T34]

Only in your imagination.

[wagadog]

At least in Sweden, even if he were swindled out of his every last penny by an unscrupulous medical care provider or investment schemer, he'd still have access to medical treatment and social support.

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

God bless Sweden and the Swedish.

[gurukalehuru]

I wasn't a fan while they were at their peak of popularity, but I have since become a fan of Karaoke and I can testify: No band's music can get a karaoke party moving like Abba's. People in the audience sing along, people get up and dance...Ab­ba's music makes people feel good, and that's what music is supposed to do.

[idabamaho]

I'll have to make a note to not attend any of gurukalehuru's parties. Anyone who would get up and dance to ABBA is beyond nerd, approaching creepy...

[thatone]

It is ONE of the things that music is supposed to do. Music CAN do many other things.

[savethecountry]

And ABBA's music did, and continues to, make people feel good. So what's your problem with that, thatone? Music snobs, and their arrogance, never cease to amuse me. I listen to a lot of different types of music, depending on my mood. Music doesn't always have to be political or social, although I enjoy those genres, too. Music can inspire in many ways, even if it's just unwinding from a particularly rough day.

I am sorry to hear about Bjorn. I hope that he can be helped because ABBA's place in music history, much to the chagrin of some who post here, is set. ABBA made, and makes, me and millions of other people feel happy. Given all of the crap that goes on in our world every day, that's a good thing.

[Aramingo]

I was never a big fan of their music, (ironic understatement) but I would never wish that kind of thing on anyone. I feel very sorry for Bjorn.

[MaracaKabob]

That is truly sad. My father on the other hand can remember the smallest details of the most mundane activities that happened fifty years ago, and we have to hear it all recalled over and over.

[truthoutdotduh]

Not to worry. Some day that will all stop. Trust me. It will.

[jimsey]

This article is very disappointing in that it doesn't remotely address possible causes.

[pros54]

I agree absolutely with you and it shows the pathetic state of journalism. Neither the possible causes, treatment options and possible outcomes both long and short term were mentioned or even alluded to.

[omahadave]

Bingo. The last 5 comments took the words right out of my mouth. Why the hell tell us a story without looking into the really interesting part, the CAUSE. These writers are used to "informing" conservatives. No inquiry, no detail, no searching for answers. Just "this happened." We read the Huffpost because we have brains in our heads and we want to be informed.

[johnself]

I agree. I couldn't care less about ABBA. The only reason I clicked on this was to find out why he had memory problems and what he was doing about it.

[KOisGod]

We they part of the drug and party scene? Otherwise some people are prone to alzhimers (sp?) and it can begin in your late 50's.

[XCITIZEN]

Yeah, me too - I agree. Lame. I guess it is a statement on the pathetic state of journalism.

[43P04T34]

First of all, when it comes to measuring the popularity of a musical group or individual the standard is selling several hundreds of millions. The groups and individuals who have met this standard can be counted on one hand and one of those fingers belongs to ABBA. Another belongs to The Beatles and another belongs to Elvis Presley.

No individual member of the list is still living. No group on the list has all of its members living except for ABBA.

It takes real balls to step forward and say that the music on hundreds of millions of albums by a musical group stinks. Such a comment reveals a lot more about the person writing it than it does about the music itself, obviously.

ABBA doesn't need the approval of a handful of anonymous people writing disparaging comments on a thread at Huffington Post whose lifetime is measured in a few days.

[pros54]

On the fingers of one hand means five and you mentioned ABBA, Beatles and Elvis Priestly OK James Brown agreed is dead Micheal Jackson is alive and well Stevie Wonder also alive and well and that now exceeds the fingers on one hand before we go on to Dave Matthews and a host of other musicians all I am saying is that exaggerations abound and should be no cause for tooth pulling.

[43P04T34]

No. James Brown, Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Dave Matthews are not in the group of SEVERAL hundreds of millions of records sold. The other two fingers are Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

The implication of what I said is that of these five only Abba and The Beatles continue to be purchased at significant rates. They are the only two of the five that continue to fascinate the public. Nobody you mentioned holds the fascination of the public like The Beatles and ABBA, both THEN and NOW, hence will never catch up to them by this measure of popularity.

No exaggeration at all, just facts.

[newunderground]

Popularity is no measure of worth. Just look at the Republican party's dominance of politics for the last 30 years.

[43P04T34]

popularity = accepted, preferred and loved by people.

Yes, popularity = worth.

[GuidedByEwoks]

I love ABBA. Hate Elvis. And am bored by the Beatles. Everyone has an opinion. Get used to it.

[NTO08]

Music and politics: both are based on subjective feelings..­.

[GBartrem]

Abba was weird music, Disco was weird Music.... But Red Bud and a bong and some Zepplin...­. now that was kick'n

[newworldman777]

A post-ABBA Frieda Llyngstad recorded a great album, which was produced by Phil Collins. Really good music. Not the "bubble-gummish" music that ABBA produced. It went to number one in many countries, but didn't get much airplay in America, for whatever reason.

[alguien]

abba's music grew less & less bubblegum as time went on. by the time their last album came out, the sound had actually grown pretty dark and heavy.

[RussT]

ABBA was ok. As far as I am concerned, they were the Osmond family of Sweden. They harmonized well. But that's about all I can tip my hat to. Even their own members don't remember their own success.

[MyGuyO]

What can I say? Abba's music...th­e best.