Tommy Körberg

Tommy Körberg is a Swedish vocalist whose career milestones include an award-winning role in the world premiere of the musical Chess, two appearances in the Eurovision Song Contest, and a large catalog of solo material. He was born on July 4, 1948, in Norsjö, Sweden. In 1965, Körberg launched his music career as the teenage frontman of Tom & Mick & Maniacs. The band reached number 5 on the Swedish charts with a cover of James Brown's "Please, Please, Please" in 1967, then climbed to Number 1 later that year with their signature song, "Someone's Taken Maria Away." The group broke up in 1968, the same year Körberg released the solo album Nature Boy. One year later, he represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Judy, min vän." He continued releasing solo material during the years that followed, including multiple volumes of his Solar Plexus music series. He also pursued an acting career, landing big roles onscreen (including the popular film Ronia, the Robber's Daughter) and onstage (the musical Chess, which found him originating the lead role of The Russian). A cast recording of the musical remained at Number 1 on the Swedish charts for seven weeks in 1984, and Körberg went on to star in other productions, including Les Miserables and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He continued releasing music well into the 2020s, a decade that found him reaching the Top 40 on the Sverigetopplistan chart with songs like "Julen Är Här" (which peaked at number 11) and "O Helga Natt" (which charted at number 32).