Charlotte Perrelli

Anna Jenny Charlotte Perrelli (Swedish: [ɧaˈɭɔtː pɛˈrɛ̌lːɪ]; née Nilsson; born 7 October 1974), known until 2003 by her maiden name, is a Swedish singer and television host. Under her maiden name, she won the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven".

Since 1999 Perrelli has released seven albums and multiple singles. She once again won Melodifestivalen in 2008 and represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with her song "Hero". She is one of Sweden's most popular female singers, often performing at Sweden's top shows. Throughout her career, she has worked with different types of music, ranging from dansband and schlager, via modern pop, to soulful ballads and jazz melodies.

Biography

1987–1998

Born in Hovmantorp, in the southern Swedish province of Småland, at the age of thirteen Nilsson joined a local dansband, Bengt Ingvars, which became "Bengt Ingvars med Charlotte". After finishing her compulsory school education, she moved from Hovmantorp to the neighbouring town of Växjö where she attended the High School of Performing Arts. She also became the lead singer of a band named Kendix.

In 1994, Nilsson started singing with the well-established dansband Anders Engbergs. After two albums, she left them and joined the highly successful Wizex in 1997. Larger venues and professional management increased the band's reputation. In 1998, the band was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy) for the album Mot nya mål, and the album Tusen och en natt that went gold.

From 1997 to 1998 Nilsson starred as the instructor Millan Svensson in the Swedish soap opera Vita lögner.