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Stig AnderssonPoet, author of about 3,000 song lyrics, director of ABBA and owner of the record company Polar Music
Date of Birth: 25.01.1931
Country:  Sweden |
Content:
Stig Anderson: A Biography
Early Life and CareerStig Anderson, known as "Stikkan" in Sweden, was born on January 25, 1931, in Huwa, Sweden. His mother worked various jobs, including sewing, hairdressing, and owning a kiosk. Stig never met his father. At the age of 13, he left school and started working as a delivery boy in a grocery store. He also worked part-time as a football team member, repairing boots for the players while his mother washed their clothes. He also operated a small stall near the stadium, selling lemonade during football matches. With some savings, he bought a guitar and soon started playing in a local orchestra. At the age of 16, he began composing songs and went on to write over 3000 songs throughout his life. In 1948, he enrolled in a music school. In 1951, he joined the army and, after his discharge, pursued a career in teaching. He earned his teaching degree in 1957 while continuing to write songs, some of which became hits.
ABBA and Polar Music
In 1960, Anderson, along with his longtime partner, founded the music publishing company Sweden Music, later renamed Polar Music in 1963. In the late 1960s, he became the head of the company where Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who were the main songwriters and members of ABBA, were able to showcase their talent. They began working together after Anderson managed the group Hootenanny Singers. Later, in 1972, he became the manager of Anni-Frid Lyngstad and, from 1976, of Agnetha Fältskog. Although Agnetha also worked with CUPOL/CBS Records until 1975, Anderson played a significant role in ABBA's early success as a co-writer of many of the group's songs. Under Anderson's direction, Polar Music became a successful record company, with ABBA being its most popular and globally recognized act.
Later Years and Controversies
By the mid-1980s, Polar Music faced financial difficulties due to poor management of assets, low-quality investments, high taxes, and rising interest rates. The collaboration between three out of the four ABBA members and Anderson ended after it was revealed that Anderson had taken a percentage of their earnings, totaling 4.5 million euros, over many years. In June 1990, a lawsuit was filed against Anderson by Agnetha Fältskog's company, Benny Andersson's Mono Music AB, and a German company representing Björn Ulvaeus' rights. The dispute was settled in July 1991. In 1989, Anderson founded the Polar Music Prize. The following year, he sold his recording company, Polar Music, to PolyGram, including all rights to the ABBA trademark. Previously, he had sold the rights to release ABBA albums to other companies to increase his income. PolyGram was later acquired by Universal Music in 1998, now one of the four largest recording companies globally and holding the rights to all ABBA recordings.
Legacy
Stig Anderson's daughter, Marie Ledin, who is married to renowned Swedish singer and composer Tomas Ledin, established a successful record company called "Record Station" in the mid-1980s (later acquired by BMG in the mid-1990s). In 1996, Marie founded Anderson Records as a music publishing company. The label's first album release was "Djupa andetag," the first solo album in 12 years by Frida, one of the members of the famous Swedish quartet. In 2006, Marie shifted the focus of her publishing company from music to books. Stig Anderson was married to Gudrun Anderson and had two sons, Anders and Lasse.
