Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg (; born 4 July 1948) is a Swedish singer, actor and musician.
English-speaking audiences know him best for his role as Anatoly/"The Russian" in the musical ''
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
''. He played the role on the 1984 concept album, and on stage in the 1986 world premiere
West End production in London, as well as several times since.
Körberg has also played the lead role in many Swedish productions of other musicals.
Career
From 1965 to 1968, Körberg was a singer in the Swedish pop group
Tom & Mick & Maniacs, which went through several name changes. In August 1967, the group released the single "
Somebody's Taken Maria Away
"Someone's Taken Maria Away" is a song written by Chris Andrews, initially recorded by British singer Adam Faith and his backing group the Roulettes. It was Faith's final top-40 hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 34 on the UK Singles Char ...
", a cover of an
Adam Faith
Terence Nelhams Wright (23 June 1940 – 8 March 2003), known as Adam Faith, was an English singer, actor, and financial journalist. A teen idol, he scored consecutive No. 1 hits on the UK Singles Chart with "What Do You Want?" (1959) and "Poo ...
song from 1965. The song went on to top the official ''
Tio i Topp
''Tio i Topp'' (English: ''Ten At The Top'') was a Swedish record chart and radio program broadcast by Sveriges Radio P3 between the years of 1961 and 1974. It was launched to combat pirate radio charts and was the first official Swedish record cha ...
'' record chart for six consecutive weeks. The group had two additional hits on the chart: "Please, Please, Please" reached number five in April 1967 and "I (Who Have Nothing)" peaked at number eight in February 1968.
Following Tom & Mick & Maniacs' break-up in 1968, Körberg released his first solo album ''Nature Boy''.
Körberg has represented Sweden in the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
on two occasions. In
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
he finished ninth with "Judy, min vän" and in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
he finished twelfth with "Stad i ljus".
He has also appeared in the Swedish productions of other musicals, usually in a starring role, including ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' and ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' (as
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
). He was a supporting actor in the 1984 Swedish fantasy film ''
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
''Ronia, the Robber's Daughter'' ( Swedish: ''Ronja rövardotter'') is a children's fantasy book by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, first published in 1981.
The book has been adapted as a prize-winning 1984 film, a Danish and a German musi ...
'', based on the novel by the same name by Swedish author
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (; ; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil of Lönneberga, Karlsson-on- ...
.
Körberg voiced the
Beast in the Swedish dub of ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
,'' and also sang the Swedish version of the title song on the soundtrack. In the 1990s and 2000s, he took time off from other projects in order to recreate the role of Anatoly/"The Russian" in subsequent productions of ''Chess'', including the 1994 tenth anniversary concert and the 2002
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
production. For years, he collaborated with Monica and Carl-Axel Dominique in the experimental group Solar Plexus. In his own performances, he has worked extensively with Stefan Nilsson, and including songs by
Jacques Brel
Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...
.
Körberg is also a frequent performer with
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...
's band,
Benny Anderssons Orkester
Benny Anderssons orkester (also known as BAO, Benny Andersson Band) is a Swedish band, with Benny Andersson as musical leader and composer. The band was formed in mid-2001 by 16 people, some from Orsa Spelmän, and Helen Sjöholm and since 2004 Tom ...
(BAO), singing mostly dance music and music by Andersson. In 2008 he starred in the musical ''
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' at Cirkus in Stockholm, and in 2009 he played Professor Henry Higgins in ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
'' in Stockholm acting opposite
Helen Sjöholm
Marie Helen Sjöholm (; born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer, actress and musical theatre performer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. She grew up in Sundsvall and started to sing in choirs at an early age, working, among others, with S ...
, who portrayed the role of Eliza Doolittle.
In the autumn of 2010, Körberg and his long-time friend Claes Malmberg gave a show in
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
called ''The Big Bang Show''. He was one of three judges on the Swedish reality television singing competition ''
True Talent
''True Talent'' was a singing talent show that was broadcast on TV3 in Sweden. The first and only season of the show premiered on August 23, 2011 and ended on November 27, 2011. Judges were Danny Saucedo, Pernilla Andersson and Tommy Körberg. T ...
'', which ran for one season in 2011. In 2013 he tried out for
Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
in
Melodifestivalen 2013
Melodifestivalen 2013 was the Swedish music competition that selected the 53rd Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. Robin Stjernberg's song "You" won the final, and became the first Second Chance song to win the Melodifestivalen fin ...
with the song "En Riktig Jävla Schlager" with the group Ravaillacz. They ended up in 10th place in the final.
In 1995, he was invited as one of the seventeen Jean Valjeans from around the world to perform the encore of the Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
In 2017, he appeared as a guest performer on the album "Worlds Collide" by Swedish
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
band
Dead By April
Dead by April is a Swedish metalcore band from Gothenburg, formed in February 2007 by Pontus Hjelm and Jimmie Strimell. The current band lineup consists of Pontus Hjelm (guitars/keyboards/programming/clean vocals), Christopher Kristensen (unclea ...
, singing on the last song, "For Every Step".
Awards and honors
In 1969, he won a Swedish Recording Industry Award
Grammis
The Grammis are music awards presented annually to musicians and songwriters in Sweden. The oldest Swedish music awards, they were instituted as a local equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in the United States. The awards ceremony is generall ...
in the category Best Debut Performance.
Körberg was nominated for a
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
in the category Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical, for his role in the 1986 world premiere of ''Chess''.
For the 2002 Swedish production of ''Chess'', he won a
Guldmasken Guldmasken (English: '' Golden Mask'') was awarded annually for private theatre productions in Swedish theatres. The award was the Swedish equivalent of the Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more common ...
, the national Swedish theater award, in the category Best Actor in a Musical.
Personal life
Körberg was born in
Norsjö
Norsjö () is a locality and the seat of Norsjö Municipality in Västerbotten County, Sweden, with 2,051 inhabitants in 2010. It is the birthplace of writer Torgny Lindgren, singer-actor-musician Tommy Körberg, and American author Charlotte Agell ...
. He is the father of actor and musician
Anton Körberg, from his relationship with actress
Anki Lidén
Anna Catarina Lidén (born 5 April 1947) is a Swedish actress. She has appeared in more than 50 films and television shows since 1971. She was the mother of the musician and DJ, Tim Bergling, who was better known as Avicii.-
Selected filmograph ...
. In July 2007, he married Anne-Charlotte Nilsson.
Selected discography
;Swedish
*1969 – ''Judy min vän''
*1970 – ''Tommy''
*1971 – ''Tommy Körberg''
*1972 – ''Solar Plexus'' (Solar Plexus; Carl-Axel Dominique, Monica Dominique, Bosse Häggström, Tommy Borgudd, Tommy Körberg)
*1973 – ''Solar Plexus 2'' (Solar Plexus; Carl-Axel Dominique, Monica Dominique, Bosse Häggström, Tommy Borgudd, Tommy Körberg)
*1973 – ''Tommy Körberg sjunger Birger Sjöberg''
*1974 – ''Solar Plexus: Det är inte båten som gungar, det är havet som rör sig''
*1975 – ''Solar Plexus: Hellre gycklare än hycklare''
*1976 – ''Den vackraste visan''
*1979 – ''Blixtlås'' (Tommy Körberg, Stefan Nilsson)
*1982 – ''Tommy Körberg och Stefan Nilsson tolkar Jaques Brel''
*1988 – ''Spotlight: Tommy Körberg''
*1988 – ''...är...''
*1988 – "
Stad i ljus
In order to choose an entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, Sweden held a national selection, namely Melodifestivalen 1988. The runaway winner was the ballad "Stad i ljus" sung by Tommy Körberg, who also had represented Sweden at the 1969 ...
"
*1989 – ''Julen är här''
*1990 – ''Livslevande''
*1990 – ''Les Miserables''-musical (original Swedish cast recording)
*1992 – ''Jag skulle vilja våga tro''
*1994 – ''Ravaillac''
*1995 – ''Sound of Music''-musical (original Swedish cast recording)
*1997 – ''Aniara''
*1998 – ''Från Waterloo till Duvemåla (From Waterloo to Duvemåla)''- various artists
*1999 – ''Sånger för ensamma älskare''
*2000 – ''Hits''
*2000 – ''Stilla natt'' (Tommy Körberg & Oslo Gospel Choir)
*2003 – ''Gränslös – det bästa''
*2003 – ''Chess på svenska (Chess in Swedish)''-musical (original Swedish 2002 cast recording)
*2006 – ''BAO på turné (BAO on tour)'' (Benny Anderssons Orkester with Helen Sjöholm & Tommy Körberg)
*2007 – ''BAO 3'' (Benny Anderssons Orkester with Helen Sjöholm & Tommy Körberg)
*2007 – ''Rakt upp och ner'' (CD+DVD)
*2012 – ''Sjung tills du stupar''
;English
*1968 – ''Nature Boy''
*1969 – ''Tommy Körberg Spotlight''
*1968 – ''Don't Get Around Much Any More''
*1976 – ''Where Do We Begin'' (
Made in Sweden; Jojje Wadenius, Tommy Körberg, Wlodek Gulgowski, Pekka Pohjola, Vesa Aaltonen)
*1984 – ''Chess''
*1984 – ''Walk Between The Raindrops'' (Tommy Körberg and Tolvan Big Band)
*1993 – ''Live in London''
*1994 – ''Chess in Concert''
*1996 – ''Evergreens''
*2009 – ''Story of a Heart'' (The Benny Andersson Band)
*2010 – ''Songs for Drinkers and Other Thinkers''
*2018 – ''For Every Step'' (Tommy Körberg and Dead by April)
References
External links
Official websiteTommy Körberg – man i ljus, official fan club websiteOfficial Facebook page*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korberg, Tommy
1948 births
Living people
People from Norsjö Municipality
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Sweden
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1969
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1988
Melodifestivalen winners
Swedish male singers
Swedish male musical theatre actors
Swedish male voice actors
Swedish-language singers
Schlager musicians
Sonet Records artists
Melodifestivalen contestants of 2013
Melodifestivalen contestants of 1988
Melodifestivalen contestants of 1971