Ola Brunkert
Encyclopedia
Ola Brunkert was one of the main session drummers for ABBA
. Brunkert and bassist Rutger Gunnarsson are the only two side musicians to appear on every ABBA album.
Born in Örebro
, Sweden
, Brunkert played with Slim's Blues Gang, before joining the pop group Science Poption. He then formed the jazz-rock combo Opus III with the guitarist Janne Schaffer
and by 1970 had become one of the most sought after session drummers in Stockholm
.
He was not among the four members of ABBA whose faces adorned the album covers -- Agnetha Fältskog
, Björn Ulvaeus
, Benny Andersson
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
-- but was a key supporting musician for the group as it achieved stardom. Brunkert played on the group's first single "People Need Love
", their Eurovision hit "Waterloo", and consistently on a great many of their recordings throughout the 1970s. ABBA promised that 'one day we’re gonna let you hear him sing' in the liner notes for the album Arrival in 1976. His last recording session with the group was in October 1981, recording their hit single "One of Us
".
He appeared on stage with ABBA at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 and played with them on their concert tours of Europe and Australia in 1977, North America and Europe in 1979 and Japan in 1980.
As reported in The Times of 18 March 2008, he bought a property in the Betlem housing complex in Artà
, Majorca, Spain in the 1980s and lived there for the remainder of his life. It was at his home that he died, less than a year after the death of his wife, Inger, in 2007.
Brunkert died after an accidental fall at the age of 61. He was found with cuts on his neck, causing initial suspicion as to his death. In fact, Brunkert had hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the neck. He had managed to wrap a towel around his neck and leave the house to seek help, but collapsed in the garden.
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
. Brunkert and bassist Rutger Gunnarsson are the only two side musicians to appear on every ABBA album.
Born in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Brunkert played with Slim's Blues Gang, before joining the pop group Science Poption. He then formed the jazz-rock combo Opus III with the guitarist Janne Schaffer
Janne Schaffer
Jan Erik Tage Janne Schaffer is a Swedish songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his work as a session guitarist for ABBA but he has also recorded with artists such as Bob Marley, Johnny Nash, Art Farmer and Tony Williams...
and by 1970 had become one of the most sought after session drummers in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
He was not among the four members of ABBA whose faces adorned the album covers -- Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...
, Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
, Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
-- but was a key supporting musician for the group as it achieved stardom. Brunkert played on the group's first single "People Need Love
People Need Love
"People Need Love" is a song recorded in March 1972 by Swedish pop grup ABBA, at the time known as 'Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid'. The song was on the group's first album, Ring Ring, released in 1973.-The song:...
", their Eurovision hit "Waterloo", and consistently on a great many of their recordings throughout the 1970s. ABBA promised that 'one day we’re gonna let you hear him sing' in the liner notes for the album Arrival in 1976. His last recording session with the group was in October 1981, recording their hit single "One of Us
One of Us (ABBA song)
"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
".
He appeared on stage with ABBA at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 and played with them on their concert tours of Europe and Australia in 1977, North America and Europe in 1979 and Japan in 1980.
As reported in The Times of 18 March 2008, he bought a property in the Betlem housing complex in Artà
Artà
Artà is one of the 53 independent municipalities on the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca. The small town of the same name is the administrative seat of this municipality in the region of Llevant.- Population :...
, Majorca, Spain in the 1980s and lived there for the remainder of his life. It was at his home that he died, less than a year after the death of his wife, Inger, in 2007.
Brunkert died after an accidental fall at the age of 61. He was found with cuts on his neck, causing initial suspicion as to his death. In fact, Brunkert had hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the neck. He had managed to wrap a towel around his neck and leave the house to seek help, but collapsed in the garden.