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Per GessleSinger (group 'Roxette')
Date of Birth: 12.01.1959
Country:  Sweden |
Content:
Biography of Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle, the lead singer of the band Roxette, was born on January 12th in Halmstad, Sweden. In 1976, Per developed an interest in music and started collaborating with various groups. By 1978, he was already singing, songwriting, and playing guitar in the band Gyllene Tider. Despite facing numerous rejections from most Swedish record companies, including Polar Studios, Gyllene Tider self-financed the release of their debut album. In 1979, they signed a contract with EMI.
Early Career
In the early 1980s, Gessle pursued a solo career, and it was his former manager of ABBA, Thomas Johansson, who discovered him while searching for songs for Frida Lyngstad's new album. Fredriksson, who was also performing and writing songs, joined forces with Gessle in 1985. Accepting EMI's offer, they realized their long-standing plan to work together and recorded the single "Neverending Love" under the name Roxette. The song became a hit in Sweden during the summer.
Success with Roxette
Roxette toured Sweden, performing in front of hundreds of thousands of people in outdoor concerts across the country. In 1988, Roxette released their second album, "Look Sharp!" and embarked on another tour. They quickly conquered Sweden and gained popularity in the United States through their song "It Must Have Been Love," which was featured in the movie "Pretty Woman." In 1991, Roxette released their third album, "Joyride," and performed 108 concerts in Europe, Australia, the United States, and South America before reaching Stockholm on July 22nd, 1992.
Solo Projects and Continued Success
In 1992, Gessle released two solo albums alongside a collection of previously unreleased demo songs titled "Demos, 1982-86" in a box set called "Pa Vag." Roxette became the first non-English-speaking group ever invited to perform at the prestigious MTV UNPLUGGED concert in 1993. Gessle married his longtime close friend Åsa Nordin. In 1994, Roxette released the album "Crash! Boom! Bang!" and embarked on their second world tour, performing in 47 concerts across Europe.
In 1996, Gessle reunited with his former band Gyllene Tider for a summer tour. They released a new edition of their greatest hits album, "Halmstads Parlor," along with a mini-album called "EP" containing four new songs. The group received two Grammy awards. Gessle started recording material for his first solo album in English, collaborating with his favorite Swedish band, Brainpool, and friends from Gyllene Tider.
In August 1997, Gessle and his wife welcomed their first child, Gabriel Titus. In 1999, Roxette released their album "Have a Nice Day," which sold exceptionally well for a band that had been performing for 14 years. The album produced several hit singles, including "Anyone," "Stars," and "Salvation." In April 2000, Gyllene Tider celebrated their 20th anniversary by releasing a digitally remastered version of their first album, including songs from their independently released record. Gessle and Fredriksson began working on a new Roxette album, planned for release in the fall.
In April 2001, Roxette released their album "Room Service." By the time of the album's release, Gessle had lost 14 kilograms. The album spawned hit singles such as "The Centre Of The Heart," "Real Sugar," and "Milk And Toast And Honey." The band set off on a tour to promote the album.
