Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (born 15 November 1945), also known simply as Frida, is a Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Born in Bjørkåsen (in Ballangen Municipality), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden.

Lyngstad found international fame when she joined ABBA, who have sold over 400 millions records (albums and singles) worldwide, making the group, which included her second husband Benny Andersson, one of the best-selling music acts in history.

After the break-up of ABBA, she continued an international solo singing career with mixed success, before retiring from music.

Early life

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad was born to Synni Lyngstad and German soldier Alfred Haase on 15 November 1945 in Bjørkåsen, a small village in Ballangen Municipality in northern Norway. Fearing reprisal for conceiving a child with a German during Norway's wartime occupation, Synni left Bjørkåsen in 1947 with her mother Arntine and the infant Anni-Frid. Anni-Frid was taken by her grandmother to Sweden, where they settled in the region of Härjedalen. Arntine took any available job while living there, whereas Synni remained in Norway and worked for a time in the south of the country. Synni joined her mother and daughter in Sweden, and the three moved to Malmköping (72 km from Stockholm). Synni died of kidney failure soon afterward, aged 21 years, leaving Anni-Frid to be raised solely by her grandmother Arntine. Anni-Frid grew up believing her father had died during World War II, as his ship had been reported to have sunk on its return to Germany.