Sven Zetterberg born 28 March 1932

Sven Zetterberg (March 28, 1952 - December 21, 2016) was a Swedish blues and soul musician, vocalist and songwriter. He impressed Swedish audiences beginning in the early '70s with his guitar, harp, and raw soulful vocals. 

He was born in 1952 in Skärblacka, Sweden, and started playing harmonica at the age of 12 when he discovered the music of Little Walter. Sven began making a name for himself in the 1970s in the Swedish blues scene as a member Telge Blues Band. He went on to play with the groups Blue Fire, Blues Rockers and Four Roosters. The latter group also featured the renowned Norwegian guitar sensation Knut Reiersrud. During the second half of the 1980s to the end of the 1990s Sven’s group Chicago Express ruled the Swedish blues scene. During this period they released four successful and acclaimed albums.

He released his first solo album in 1999, Blues From Within. The record was nominated for a Swedish Grammy. The 2001 release of Let Me Get Over introduced the world to the soul singer side of Sven Zetterberg. The record received a wide recognition beyond the blues scene. This record was also nominated for a Swedish Grammy.

The breakthrough as a soul singer made it possible for Sven to engage two different backup bands. One band for the soul blues material and another trio when juke joint blues was requested. He was also often a guest on Christmas blues shows, tribute shows and rock´n´roll revivals. Irrespective of genre, a concert with Sven always guaranteed quality, full force and a soulful ‘give and take-meeting’ with his audience. He was a giant at communicating with the audience. No one ever left a Sven Zetterberg concert feeling disappointed.

 

                       

Here’s a rare original release from 2004 of this superb crossover tune from Sweden's No. 1 man of R&B, Sven Zetterberg. Only 300 copies were pressed apparently and then re-released on the Gold Soul label in the UK.
He regularly released records of high quality during the 2000´s, all of them critical and public successes. He wrote a lot of new original songs with his guitar player Anders Lewén. As a result of the success of both his recordings and the live shows, his audience grew.  

Through the years he played and toured with a lot of famous American blues artists, including  Johnnie Johnson, Albert Collins, Lazy Lester, Jimmy Rogers, Louisiana Red, Eddie Kirkland, Eddie Boyd, Jimmy McCracklin, Carey Bell and Sunnyland Slim and others. He even played at several blues clubs in Chicago, mostly on the West Side.

After concluding a Christmas tour in mid-December of 2016, Zetterberg died of heart failure in Stockholm on the 18th of that month. He was 64 years old and was at his artistic peak at the time of his death. 

(Compiled and edited from bluesjunctionproductions.com & AllMusic)