Roxette Singer Marie Fredriksson Dead At 61 After Battle With Cancer; Per Gessle Pays Tribute

Singer Marie Fredriksson, one half of famous Swedish pop duo Roxette, died Monday following a 17-year battle with cancer. She was 61.

Roxette’s Marie Fredriksson Cause Of Death

Fredriksson began her music career as a solo artist in Sweden in the late 1970s and early 1980s and found great success before teaming up with Per Gessle to form Roxette in 1986. Fredriksson provided the vocals and also played the keyboard for the group.

The female Swedish singer came from a working-class background, as her father was a postman and her mother was a factory worker.

Roxette first rose to fame with the 1989 hit single “The Look,” which reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the duo became further known for songs like “It Must Have Been Love” — which appeared in the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman — “Listen to Your Heart” and “Joyride.” The band went on to sell roughly 75 million albums.

Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002 but continued to record and tour until three years ago. In 2016, her affliction became so severe that she and Gessle were forced to cancel their summer tour.

In 2015, Fredriksson opened up to Swedish magazine Vi about her cancer diagnosis.

“When things were at their most difficult… even if nobody else believed in me, I believed in myself. Felt I had to,” said Fredriksson.

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Gessle was one of several people to pay tribute to Fredriksson on social media.

“I’m honored to have met your talent + generosity,” Gessle wrote.