Kikki Danielsson

Infobox musical artist
Name = Kikki Danielsson


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Background = solo_singer
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Origin = Osby, Sweden
Genre = Country, Country pop, Dansband music, Pop
Years_active = 1969-present
Label = Mariann Grammofon AB
Associated_acts = Nickies, Wizex, Chips, Roosarna, Kikki, Bettan & Lotta
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Notable_instruments = Accordion

Ann-Kristin "Kikki" Danielsson (born 10 May 1952 in Osby, Sweden) is a Swedish country, dansband and pop singer. Sometimes, she also plays the accordion. She is also famous for yodeling in some songs. Kikki Danielsson gained her largest popularity in the Nordic region from the late 1970s until the late 1990s. She also gained popularity at the US country stage during the 1980s. In 1986, she had the "Kikki i Nashville" TV show.

Life and work

Totally, she has participated nine times at the Swedish Melodifestivalen and one time at the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix. She has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1982 (as a part of the Swedish pop and country group Chips with the song "Dag efter dag", finishing 8th) and in the 1985 (solo) with the song "Bra vibrationer", finishing 3rd.

Kikki Danielsson was born in Osby, but was adopted to a Småland farm around the age four-five. There, she became the only child in the family while her younger sister was adopted to another place. As a five-year-old girl, Kikki Danielsson made her first singing performance, which occurred at the local Sunday school's Lucia party in her Småland home church, singing the Christmas song "När Jesusbarnet låg en gång". As a child, she sang in the local church choir.

As a 17-year old girl, Kikki Danielsson begun as a singer in dansband Nickies and in 1973 she switched to another dansband, Wizex, with which she participated at the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1978. She left Wizex in 1982, but as a member of the pop and country group Chips, she participated at the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1980, 1981 and 1982. She has also been a popular Svensktoppen artist, with hits as the Melodifestivalen songs, but also other songs, like "Papaya Coconut" in 1987. She willingly sings country and has contributed in radio and TV shows in the U.S. in the 1980s.

During the second half of 1984, she married Swedish musician Kjell Roos, who led the "dansband" Roosarna, with which she sang between 1990 and 1999. In 1985 she gave birth to their first child. In late 1987 she released the Christmas album "Min barndoms jular". Together with Roosarna, she had many Svensktoppen hits during the 1990s. In 1994, the "dansband of the year" prize at the Grammis was awarded to Kikki Danielsson & Roosarna. In 1999 she separated from Kjell Roos. However, the musical co-operation re-started in 2003.

Kikki Danielsson has also sang at the 2001 Stockholm Pride. Together with Lotta Engberg and Elisabeth Andreassen she participated at the Swedish Melodifestivalen 2002 and together they called themselves Kikki, Bettan & Lotta and had an own dinner show during the second half of 2002 and participated at the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix in 2003.

Kikki Danielsson participated at Melodifestivalen 2006 with the song "I dag & i morgon", written by and Calle Kindbom, which reached the final in the Stockholm Globe Arena, where it finished at the 10th and last place. Totally, she has participated nine times at the Swedish Melodifestivalen and one time at Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix.

From November 28-December 17 2006, she toured Sweden with a band on the "Julstämning med Kikki" Christmas concert tour.

Her periods of problems with alcohol have been a popular topic of the Swedish tabloid press (Danielsson first started drinking heavily to self-medicate as a result of her rheumatoid arthritis), as has her weight problem, in which she has become borderline obese. Because of her weight problem, she appeared in "Du är vad du äter", the Swedish version of "You are what you eat", where she made great progress and lost several pounds.

Melodifestivalen, Melodi Grand Prix and Eurovision entries

*Melodifestivalen 1978: "Miss Decibel" (with Wizex) - 2nd place
*Melodifestivalen 1980: "Mycke' mycke' mer" (with Chips) - 4th place
*Melodifestivalen 1981: "God morgon" (with Sweets 'n Chips) - 2nd place
*Melodifestivalen 1982: "Dag efter dag" (with Chips) - winner :8th place at the Eurovision Song Contest 1982
*Melodifestivalen 1983: "Varför är kärleken röd?" - 2nd place
*Melodifestivalen 1985: "Bra vibrationer" - winner :3rd place at the Eurovision Song Contest 1985
*Melodifestivalen 1992: "En enda gång" - 4th place
*Melodifestivalen 2002: "Vem é dé du vill ha" (Kikki, Bettan & Lotta) - 3rd place
*Melodi Grand Prix 2003: "Din hånd i min hånd" (Kikki, Bettan & Lotta) - 4th place
*Melodifestivalen 2006: "I dag & i morgon" - 10th place

Discography

olo albums

*"Rock'n Yodel" (1979)
*"Just Like a Woman" (1981)
*"Kikki" (1982)
*"Varför är kärleken röd?" (1983)
*"Singles Bar" (1983)
*"Midnight Sunshine" (1984)
*"Kikkis 15 bästa låtar" (1984)
*"Bra vibrationer" (1985)
*"Papaya Coconut" (1986)
*"Min barndoms jular" (1987) (Christmas album)
*"Canzone d'Amore" (1989)
*"På begäran" (1990)
*"Vägen hem till dej" (1991)
*"In Country" (1992)
*"Jag ska aldrig lämna dig" (1993)
*"På begäran 2" (1994)
*"Långt bortom bergen" (1997)
*"I mitt hjärta" (1999)
*"100% Kikki" (2001)
*"Fri - En samling" (2001)
*"Nu är det advent" (2001) (Christmas album)
*"I dag & i morgon" (2006)
*"Kikkis bästa" (2008)

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8vPuhRbmPs Kikki in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985]
* [http://www.grammis.se/?page=57 Grammis awards of 1994, with Kikki Danielsson & Roosarna as "Dansband of the year"]