The Anderssons

Benny was born to 34-year-old construction engineer Gösta Andersson and his 26-year-old wife Laila. His sister Eva-Lis Andersson followed in 1948.

Andersson's musical background comes from his father and grandfather; they both enjoyed playing the accordion, and at six, Benny got his own. Father Gösta and grandfather Efraim taught him Swedish folk music, traditional music, and the odd schlager. Benny recalls the first records he bought were "Du Bist Musik" by Italian schlager singer Caterina Valente and Elvis Presley's rendition of "Jailhouse Rock"; this smörgåsbord of different kinds of music was to influence and follow him through the years.

When Andersson was ten he got his own piano, and taught himself to play.

Benny with his father


 He left school aged 15 and began to perform at youth clubs. This is when he met his first girlfriend Christina Grönvall, with whom he had two children: Peter (born 1963) and Helen (born 1965).

Vals efter Efraim  

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Uploaded by oleviolin on 10 Oct 2009

Ramslag 9 oktober 2009 http://spillefolk.dk/nodesamling/visnode.php?key=va-efraim

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Written for his grandfather

Los Angeles, September 21st 1979:

Benny at Disneyland (while touring the USA with ABBA) and is pictured with his sister Eva-Lis, his son Peter and daughter Helene, Frida's daughter Lise-Lotte and an au-pair