Lasse Berghagen

Lars Nils "Lasse" Berghagen (13 May 1945 – 19 October 2023) was a Swedish singer and songwriter. He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song "Jennie, Jennie". He was also known for presenting Allsång på Skansen on Swedish television from 1994 up until 2003.

Lasse Berghagen
Berghagen in 2014
Background information
Birth nameLars Nils Berghagen
Born(1945-05-13)13 May 1945
Stockholm, Sweden
Died19 October 2023(2023-10-19) (aged 78)
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Acoustic guitar
Years active1965–2023
Spouse(s)
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1965; div. 1968)​
  • Eva Strand
    ​
    (m. 1976)​

Early and personal life

Berghagen was born in Stockholm on 13 May 1945.[1] He was the son of nurse Britta (née Lindstedt; 1908–1997) and professor and dentist Nils Berghagen (né Nilsson; 1909–1995).[2]

Berghagen was married to singer Lill-Babs between 1965 and 1968.[3] Together, the couple had a daughter, Malin Berghagen, born in 1966. From 1976 onwards, he was married to Eva (née Strand), and the couple had a daughter, Maria Berghagen Enander, born in 1976.[3]

Career

Music career
Lasse Berghagen at Sommarkrysset in June 2009.

Berghagen was discovered by record producer Curt Pettersson at the record label Karusell, at the age of 19 while Berghagen performed at an NTO party in Enköping.[4][5] He released his first record in 1965.

His major breakthrough came in 1969, when he released the songs "Teddybjörnen Fredriksson" and "Gunga Gunga" which both charted on Svensktoppen.[6] Other notable songs include "En enkel sång om frihet", "Hålligång i skogen" and "Du som vandrar genom livet".[7] During the 1960s, Berghagen collaborated with Benny Andersson, and together they wrote songs like "Hej clown" (performed by Jan Malmsjö in Melodifestivalen 1969), and "Sagan om lilla Sofie", performed by Andersson's band Hep Stars.[8]

In the 1970s, Berghagen participated in three consecutive Melodifestivalen. He finished seventh in 1973 with the song "Ding-Dong", second in Melodifestivalen 1974 with "Min kärlekssång till dig", and eventually won in Melodifestivalen 1975 with the song "Jennie, Jennie". Because of his win, he represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, where he placed eighth.[9][10] Berghagen also had a career in Germany where he released records, and appeared on German TV.[11]

Television work

Between 1994 and 2003, Berghagen presented the SVT show Allsång på Skansen. The show increased in popularity during his time as a presenter, going from 600 thousand viewers to over two million during his run.[3] He had earlier worked with SVT, hosting the shows Strapetz (1971), Positiva Klubben (1984) and Tjocka släkten (1991).[3] In 2010, Berghagen appeared in the first season of the TV4 show Så mycket bättre.[12]

Theatre and other ventures

Between 1968 and 1974, he performed with the Kar de Mumma revue at Folkan, where he played a charming tango dancer named Flirtiga Knut (Flirty Knut).[13] He also starred in the comedy shows Sängkammarfars (1979) and Spanska flugan (1981) at the Vasateatern.[3] In 1974, he did his first krogshow (bar show) Breda leenden at Berns. In 1985, he did his own musical at Chinateatern called Världens galenskap. He returned to Chinateatern in 2003 with the revue Chinarevyn co-starring with Magnus Härenstam and Sissela Kyle.[14] Berghagen also acted in films like Firmafesten (1972), Dante, akta're för Hajen (1978) and Bert – den siste oskulden (1995).[14]

During the 1980s, he was the chairman of the anti-drug association Föreningen Artister Mot Narkotika (FAMN).[15] In 1993, he released a book of poems titled I mina blommiga sandaler (In my flower-patterned sandals).

Awards

Berghagen was awarded for his work several times,[16] amongst them the Lennart Hyland TV award, the S:t Eriksmedaljen,[6] the Illis quorum meruere labores of the eighth size, [17] and the and the Cornelis Vreeswijk-scholarship.[10] He was also given the Kristallen award for his participation in Så mycket bättre, alongside his fellow cast members.[16]

Death

Lasse Berghagen died from complications of heart surgery on 19 October 2023, at the age of 78.[18][19]

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
SWE
"Tacka vet jag logdans"[20] 1977 45 Non-album singles

Filmography
  • 1972: Firmafesten[21]
  • 1978: Dante akta're för Hajen[22]
  • 1995: Bert – den siste oskulden[23]

References
  1. "Sök personer | Birthday.se". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  2. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993. Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 105. ISBN 91-1-914072-X. LIBRIS: 8261513. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023
  3. "Lasse Berghagen säger hej till livet". Aftonbladet. 26 October 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. Berghagen ska rädda "Allsång på Skansen". Omni. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. "Lasse Berghagen firar 50 år som artist – gästar Allsången". Sveriges Television. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  6. … Lasse Berghagen, 14 september. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2023 – via Sveriges Radio.
  7. Radio, Sveriges (31 December 2022). Lasse Berghagen - En blandning av sött & salt - Musikdokumentär. Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  8. "Lasse Berghagen säger hej till livet". vk.se. 26 October 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  9. Sjöblom, Veronica (12 March 2023). "Lista: Här är alla vinnare i Melodifestivalen genom tiderna". KT. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  10. "LASSE BERGHAGEN: 'Jag höll på att ramla av stolen'". Expressen. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  11. ""Synd att det inte kom fram"", Aftonbladet, 27 November 2010, archived from the original on 20 September 2023, retrieved 20 September 2023
  12. Petter och Lasse Berghagens tårar i "Så mycket bättre". 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2023. {{cite book}}: |newspaper= ignored (help)
  13. "Lasse Berghagen säger hej till livet". Smålandsposten. 26 October 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  14. "Berghagen blir skådis". Aftonbladet. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  15. Åhlund, Rebecka (25 August 2009). "Alltid samma prat om knark". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  16. Hagberg, Jan (8 August 2021). "Lasse Berghagen årets Cornelisstipendiat". Senioren. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  17. "Så kom Lasse Berghagen i form igen - och så behåller han sin Eva". Expressen. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  18. Hedberg, Sofia (19 October 2023). "Lasse Berghagen är död". Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via SVT Nyheter.
  19. "Lasse Berghagen är död". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  20. "Sverigetopplistan", Sverigetopplistan, archived from the original on 4 December 2021, retrieved 20 September 2023
  21. Firmafesten filmaffisch Archived 20 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  22. Andersson, Pidde (31 January 2019). "DANTE – AKTA'RE FÖR HAJEN". Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  23. "Utmaningen för nya Bert- filmen – matcha klassikern". Expressen. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
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