Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle here in 2015
Photo: WireImage, Brian Rasic. All rights reserved.
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More than two years have passed since Marie Fredriksson succumbed to cancer at the age of 61 – the singer’s tragic death also marked the end of Roxette. On Tuesday evening (March 22) her former partner Per Gessle announced that he would like to continue the golden days of the Swedish pop duo with a new band project: “An era is over. Another is born,” said the guitarist via Facebook.
Tomorrow won’t be like yesterday
A change of name (albeit a minor one) shows that the future should not be an imitation of the past: Roxette will in future be PG Roxette, based on the initials of the musician. Two voices can be heard on the vocals, which have been used for years in the background as vocal support for Fredriksson and Gessle. In addition, Helena Josefsson has made a name for herself in Sweden with the group Sandy Mouche; Dea Norberg has appeared on stage several times for different nations at the “Eurovision Song Contest”.
“I want to keep the Roxette legacy alive”
“It’s impossible to replace Marie and that was never my intention,” says Gessle. The Roxette era has been an incredible time together and he looks forward to continuing this journey in a different way: “Initially I wasn’t sure which path to take, but over time I realized that I want to continue this fantastic jaunt. I want to keep the Roxette legacy alive. I’ve written almost every song Roxette has recorded over the years and they mean the world to me. So I think this is the right decision,” said the 63-year-old.
New single, new record, new tour
The Swede has announced a first single by PG Roxette for May, the long player is to follow in mid-September. A tour is also being planned, on which Roxette classics will also be heard alongside new pieces.
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