Anette Olzon

Not to be confused with Annette Olson.

Anette Olzon
Anette live with Nightwish in Melbourne, Australia, 2008
Background information
Born	21 June 1971 (1971-06-21) (age 40) Katrineholm, Sweden
Origin	Sweden
Genres	Symphonic metal, AOR, alternative rock, acoustic
Occupations	Singer, musician
Instruments	Vocals, oboe[1]
Years active	1988-present
Associated acts	Nightwish, Alyson Avenue, Pain, Michael Bormann, Brother Firetribe, The Rasmus, Sweden United

Anette Ingegerd Olzon (born 21 June 1971) is a Swedish singer from Helsingborg, best known as the second lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish.^[1] Olzon was formerly the vocalist in the Swedish AOR band Alyson Avenue. After her admission in Nightwish, Anette played with several bands, in studio and live, including Brother Firetribe, Pain and The Rasmus.

In 2008, Anette recorded one track with Brother Firetribe on their second album, Heart Full of Fire, and the duet with The Rasmus, titled October & April, was played for the first time on October 9, 2009 on a Finnish radio and was released digitally on November 11, 2009.^[2] On August 13, Anette sang two Nightwish songs, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan and "Meadows of Heaven", with the Stockholm Symphonic Orchestra, at the Suomi Safari, the event was in celebration of Sweden and Finland relations.^[3] During the break after Nightwish's 2009 Hartwall Arena concert, Anette has stated that she wishes to release a solo album. As of October 19, 2009, songwriting for this album has begun.^[4]

She has mentioned Carola Häggkvist, Sarah Brightman, Natalie Cole and Celine Dion as being her inspirations in singing. She has said she enjoys other metal bands such as Sonata Arctica, Amorphis, Tarot, Within Temptation and Kamelot. She has also noted that she is a fan of The Rasmus, and was such even before she released October & April. ^[5] Anette lives with her boyfriend, and Pain bassist, Johan Husgafvel and son Seth, born July 2001. On July 30, 2010, she gave birth to her second son Nemo.^[6]

Early life

Anette Olzon was raised in a musical family and has been singing since childhood.^[1] Her mother also forced Anette to play the oboe for 8 years. She toured with her mother's band and sang with them on some occasions. Later, she started to take part in various talent shows and received laudable recognition.^[1] The first band she joined at seventeen years of age (Take Cover) was a cover band. However, it was short-lived as she took part in several bands and projects. At twenty-one, she played the leading role in the rock opera/musical "Gränsland" in Helsingborg. After that she got in to the Balettakademien in Gothenburg. She sang in choirs, did studio work for various projects and occasionally performed as a wedding singer. Anette Olzon also sang a duet with Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart singer) on his album "Conspiracy".

In her earlier days, Anette Olzon took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingør, Denmark with a private teacher. Nowadays, she takes lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University when needed.^[1]

Career

With Alyson Avenue (1999–2005)

Olzon then joined Alyson Avenue, at first only as a studio singer, but later as their leading lady, replacing the male vocalist. The band received huge feedback for a demo they sent out in 1999, and Alyson Avenue was soon able to contact various labels. Main composer and keyboardist Niclas Olsson gathered the band, recording a four track demo which resulted in a record deal with AOR Heaven.

In November 2000, debut album Presence of Mind was released with rave reviews.^[7] The next album Omega was released in 2003. Anette left "Alyson Avenue" in 2006. In May 2009, Alyson Avenue introduced Arabella Vitanc as their new lead vocalist.

With Nightwish (2007–present)

Anette live with Nightwish in Melbourne, Australia, on January 30, 2008.

Olzon officially joined Nightwish as their new lead singer in early 2007, chosen from about 2,000 applicants of which 10 made it to prove their place in front of the band. The song on her demo tape was the 2002 single "Ever Dream". She replaced the previous singer Tarja Turunen, who was fired in an open letter in the autumn of 2005. Olzon's demo was one of the first that Nightwish received, although she was originally denied the position, as band leader Tuomas Holopainen was concerned about the fact that she had a young son. However, Olzon was persistent and sent the band a live DVD of her performing with Alyson Avenue. She was then contacted by Nightwish's manager Ewo Pohjola, which eventually led to her taking up the position in February 2007. Tuomas commented on her selection saying "we (the band) took a formal vote, but it was unanimous that she would be the one. It was a matter of heart. We felt she was right." Her identity was kept secret by various methods, including pretending to be Ewo's "Swedish cousin" at a Tarot concert, until she was eventually announced as the new Nightwish singer on 24 May 2007.

The day after this revealing, May 25, 2007, charity single "Eva" was released as the first off the album, as download only. It was originally scheduled for release on May 30 but this was changed due to a leak on a British music download site. This was the first published song to feature Olzon. On June 13, Nightwish released the title, Dark Passion Play, and artwork to the new album on their official website, as well as the name and the cover of the second single (this time CD), "Amaranth". "Amaranth" achieved gold status in Finland after less than two days in stores.

Dark Passion Play was released around Europe in the last week of September 2007, in the UK on October 1, and the United States on October 2. It was awarded double platinum in Finland the second day after its release and took the number 1 position on the charts of Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia and got in top 100 in other 16 countries, including the United States. Dark Passion Play has sold 6x Platinum worldwide up to date (over 1.5 million copies).

On September 22, 2007, the band hosted a secret concert at Rock Café in Tallinn, Estonia, disguising itself as a Nightwish cover band called "Nachtwasser".^[8] Their first official concert with the new singer was in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 6, 2007.^[9] The Dark Passion Play tour thus started, visiting the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Asia, and Australia.^[10][11]

The Dark Passion Play tour turned out to be Nightwish's longest tour yet, lasting from the fall of 2007 to September 2009, when ended with a concert in Hartwall Arena, Helsinki with the band Apocalyptica. For trivia, Nightwish's only other concert in Hartwall Arena was in 2005 when they ended their Once Upon a Tour. This concert was filmed for the End of an Era DVD, and it was Tarja Turunen's last show with the band.^[12]

Future solo album

Olzon's forthcoming solo album would be co-produced by Swedish producer/songwriter Anders Bagge, who has previously worked with Madonna, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson and Jessica Simpson, among others. He is also one of judges on the Swedish TV talent competition "Idol" and a producer of the TV series "Made in Sweden". She states that the album will "not be a metal album, but will most likely be a Rock one."

Anette stated: "This will be so great and it's so nice to have such great songwriters and musicians to help me with the songs. We work that way that we sit down by the piano and the guitar and just try melodies etc. and then I write down lyrics and we try and test the structure of the song. Then Johan goes and puts drums, bass etc. in the computer to get the music recorded for me to test-sing it. Then we work from there. It's so nice to create songs like this, I haven't done that since we started [Anette's pre-Nightwish band] Alyson Avenue, so it's been a while, but I'll soon get a hang of it again. And I really like the sound of it already!"

Many fans have expressed concern that Anette will be taking the same route as ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen, but she says "I still belong in Nightwish. This is just something to do before Tuomas has finished writing the next Nightwish Album. I have no desire to leave Nightwish."

Anette, on February 3, 2010, shared on her blog that she no longer would continue making a solo album. Saying, "The factors are mainly that I want to focus on my family during this break from Nightwish. I am sure I will do a solo some other time, but at this time it doesn't fit into my life and then it's better to not do it, than to do it and it just wont feel good.". ^[13] On March 3, 2010, Olzon made an announcement on her blog that the reason the solo album had been postponed was because she was pregnant with her second child.^[6] "Last autumn in the middle of demo recordings for my solo album, I started to feel very tired and nauseated. I took a pregnancy test and was really surprised to see that I had gotten pregnant! The boys in Nightwish have known for many weeks about it and they are all very supportive and happy." Her son was born on July 30 by C-section.

Singing style and reception as the Nightwish frontwoman

Anette does not possess the same operatic voice as Tarja Turunen, but rather, her melodic range is typically in the soubrette soprano range. ^{[14][citation needed]} Other fans assert that the power in her voice, in addition to the instrumentation, is what makes Nightwish retain their Symphonic power metal style. Since her joining in 2007, Olzon's technical skill and style has continued to evolve. Prior to Nightwish's release of the Imaginaerum album and film, Tuomas Holopainen, they keyboardist and composer for the band, welcomed the press to Finnvox studios to preview the album.^[15] Reception was immediately much more synonymous. Critics agreed that her voice became much more refined, powerful, grandiose, and atmospheric - a typical signature of Nightwish.

Discography

With Nightwish Studio albums Dark Passion Play (2007) Imaginaerum (2011) Live Albums Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places) (2009) EPs Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places) (2009) Singles "Eva" (2007) "Amaranth" (2007) "Bye Bye Beautiful" (2008) "The Islander" (2008) "Storytime" (2011) MCDs Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places) (2009)

With Alyson Avenue Studio albums Presence of Mind (2000) Omega (2004) Compilations Munich's Hardest Hits Melodic Rock Fireworks Magazine Total Frontfork Guest appearances 2006: Two Of A Kind (Michael Bormann) 2006: Will We Remain (Cloudscape) 2008: Heart Full of Fire (Brother Firetribe) 2008: Follow Me, Feed Us (Pain) 2009: October & April (The Rasmus) 2010: Open Your Eyes (Sweden United) 2011: Changes (Alyson Avenue) (Background vocals on ”Liar”, ”Into The Fire”, ”Always Keep On Loving You”, ”Fallen”) 2012: Cathedral Walls (Swallow the Sun)[16]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Olzon Fact File". Nightwish.com. http://www.nightwish.com/en/band/members/facts?id=16. Retrieved 2009-10-16. 
2. ^ www.therasmus-hellofasite.it
3. ^ "Anette will Play with Live Orchestra". Whiplash.net. http://whiplash.net/materias/news_874/090178-nightwish.html. Retrieved 2009-10-16. 
4. ^ Anette Olzon Blog: First day of songwriting;=)
5. ^ [1]
6. ^ ^{a b} http://anette-olzon.blogspot.com/2010/07/child-is-born.html
7. ^ "Alyson Avenue: Our Story". Alysonavenue.se. http://www.alysonavenue.se/ourstory.php. Retrieved 2009-10-16. 
8. ^ "Nightwish performs secret gig in Estonia". Blabbermouth.net. September 23, 2007. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=81338. Retrieved 2007-10-07. 
9. ^ "Nightwish performs first official concert with new singer". Blabbermouth.net. October 7, 2007. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=82280. Retrieved 2007-10-07. 
10. ^ "Nightwish – Tour Info". Nightwish.com. http://nightwish.com/en/band/tour. Retrieved 2007-10-07. 
11. ^ "Nightwish Australian tour dates announced". Blabbermouth.net. October 5, 2007. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=82169. Retrieved 2007-10-07. 
12. ^ "TuomasHolopainen.net". Interview. http://www.tuomasholopainen.net/int-thnet2.html. Retrieved October 30, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
13. ^ http://anette-olzon.blogspot.com/2010/02/solo-update.html#comment-form
14. ^ anette-olzon.blogspot.com
15. ^ http://mffblog.com/2011/10/11/nightwish-imaginaerum-prelistening-at-finnvox-studios/
16. ^ [2]

External links

• Anette's Official site
• Anette's Official Blog
• Nightwish's Official Website

Persondata
Name	Olzon, Anette
Alternative names	Anette Olzon
Short description	Swedish rock singer
Date of birth	June 21, 1971
Place of birth	Katrineholm, Sweden
Date of death
Place of death