Alice Babs

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Alice Babs, ca.1940
Advertising shot with Alice Babs and daughter, 1960

Alice Babs (born January 26, 1924 in Kalmar , Sweden , as Hildur Alice Nilson ; † February 11, 2014 in Stockholm ) was an internationally known Swedish pop and jazz singer who also enjoyed success in German-speaking countries in the 1950s. In addition to her career as a singer, she was also active as an actress, especially in the 1940s and 1950s.
From April 15, 1944, she was married to Nils Ivar Sjöblom († 2011), with whom she had three children.

Life

Label of a swing record by Alice Babs, 1940s
Alice Babs at the Grand Prix Eurovision 1958

As a young girl, Alice Babs sang at charity events in her homeland. In 1938 she first appeared on a radio broadcast. The first recordings were made with the Nisse Lind's Hot Trio ("FDR Jones" and " Star Dust ") on the Sonora label . She had great success in 1940 as a jazz-enthusiastic schoolgirl in the film Swing it, magistern (Let it swing, Professor), followed in 1956 by the film Swing it, fröken with her as a teacher. This began a career that made her known throughout Scandinavia until the 1950s . By then she had already sung about numerous records. At the time, her name “Alice Babs” was even used as an advertising medium for various products.

In 1954 she had her first appearance in Germany, with Erwin Lehn and his Südfunk-Tanzorchester in Stuttgart . She then got a role in the feature film Schwedenmädel (directed by Thomas Engel ); In 1956 the symphony in gold followed . At the same time she got a record deal. Her first title was called Ole Dole Dei . In 1955 she had her first big success with A man doesn't always have to be beautiful . She then became a permanent guest on the radio stations in Germany. She also appeared at various galas and soon became one of the most successful singers in Germany in the 1950s.

In 1958 she was Sweden's first participant in the Eurovision Song Contest . Her song Lilla stjärna reached the 4th place.

While she was best known as a pop singer in German-speaking countries, her love was also jazz . In the early 1960s she went on tour with the violinist Svend Asmussen and the guitarist Ulrik Neumann as a trio "Swe-Danes" throughout Europe. In 1963 she had a hit in the UK with the song After You've Gone . In France she recorded an album with Duke Ellington and toured with him in Sweden in 1973. She also appeared in New York and London and in 1975 at the Newport Jazz Festival .

She later retired from show business. Only occasionally did she pick up the microphone.

In 2002 she received the Django d'Or (Sweden) as a Master of Jazz .

Success title

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Swingtime Again
  SE 12 05/11/1998 (28 weeks)
Basta
  SE 14th 02/06/2004 (6 weeks)
Illusion (with Jan Johansson & Georg Riedels Orkester)
  SE 31 08/30/2007 (3 weeks)
As Time Goes By
  SE 42 02/13/2009 (2 weeks)
  • Ole dole dei 1954
  • You say goodbye to me in 1954
  • A man doesn't always have to be beautiful 1954
  • A pink cow in 1954
  • Midsummer Night 1955
  • In the evening in Stockholm in 1955
  • Twiedlie The 1955
  • Dong-Dingeldong 1955
  • Chocolata 1956
  • The Swedish barrel organ man in 1956
  • Baccino 1956
  • I'll pick a chicken with you 1957
  • How love will 1957
  • Luna-Lu 1957
  • Cha-Cha-Joe 1957
  • Jodel Cha-Cha 1957
  • Schimmele, Schimmele 1957
  • The Sparrow from Como 1957
  • Mama is from Cuba in 1957
  • Ring-A-thing 1957
  • Lollipop 1957
  • Young heart full of love 1957
  • Darling, you know 1957
  • Why are you sending me roses in 1957
  • Ringel-Rangel-Rose 1958
  • Darling, I could cry 1958
  • In a small pastry shop in 1959
  • Miss Pardon 1959
  • Once upon a time there was a musician in 1959
  • Just you, you, you alone 1959
  • Yesterday I was still a baby in 1959
  • Tomorrow we will meet again in 1959
  • You belong to my heart 1959
  • St. Louis Blues Twist 1962
  • Jazz Fuga 1962

Discography

Albums :

  • Midsummer night
  • Lollipop

Filmography (selection)

  • 1938: Blixt och dunder
  • 1940: 'Swing it' Masters
  • 1941: Magistrarna på sommarlov
  • 1942: Vårat common
  • 1942: En trallande jänta
  • 1944: Örnungar
  • 1946: Det glada kalaset
  • 1947: Love in Notes (Sången om Stockholm)
  • 1952: Drömsemester
  • 1953: Kungen av Dalarna
  • 1953: I through skur
  • 1953: Journey to you (Resan till dej)
  • 1955: Schwedenmädel (Sommarflickan)
  • 1956: Symphony in Gold
  • 1956: Swing it, fröken!
  • 1958: Music on board
  • 1959: Det svänger på slottet

Web links

Commons : Alice Babs  - collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ↑ Chart sources: SE
personal data
SURNAME Babs, Alice
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nilson, Hildur Alice (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish pop and jazz singer
DATE OF BIRTH January 26, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Kalmar , Sweden
DATE OF DEATH 11th of February 2014
Place of death Stockholm