Linn Berggren

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Malin Sophia Katharina Berggren was born on October 31, 1970 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Having been interested and involved in music since her childhood, she formed the band Ace of Base in 1990, along with her sister Jenny, her brother Jonas, and their friend Ulf Ekberg. Before becoming a singer, Malin studied to become a teacher at the University of Chalmers in her native Gothenburg, and sang in her church's choir.

When Ace of Base was signed to Danish label Mega Records in 1990, Malin, or Linn as she became known, chose to put her teaching career on hold, a decision she perhaps later regretted. It is notable that whilst sister Jenny has stated she would like to be a singer forever, Linn never has said anything similar.

Linn is an artistic and somewhat eccentric person. Since 1997 she has appeared at her band's concerts only to perform in the dark or from behind objects such as curtains or pillars. In the band's music videos, her image is often blurred or missing altogether. Linn frequently appears unhappy, upset, or even ill in pictures taken of her. Speculation has abounded amongst fans since 1997; Linn has not granted an interview since that year. The other band members, too, have been somewhat reluctant to explain what has happened to Ace of Base's former lead singer. Linn frequently avoids cameras.

The band's management and record companies have explained Linn's odd behavior variously over the years. In 1997 when Linn did not perform at the World Music Awards, Claes Cornelius at Mega Records said it was because she did not wish to wear the heavy make-up the performance would have required. The band performed "Ravine" with Linn pretending to play keyboards in the far background of the stage. In 1998 when Linn walked off the set of the "Cruel Summer" video in Rome, her agent said it was because she did not wish to appear in the foreground of the video. Director Nigel Dick later revealed she would not have appeared at all, were it not for his insistence. Jenny ended up singing both her own and Linn's parts in the video. Bravo magazine claimed later that year that Linn was seriously ill, a claim which appeared to be true, based on Linn's odd appearance on Germany's The Dome, and photos appearing in Bravo. Ulf Ekberg once claimed Linn had a "camera phobia", but other sources have sited her long-time fear of flying as the reason she doesn't appear at the band's concerts. Yet Linn also did not appear at events in Gothenburg and Copenhagen, where she would not have had to fly. Agoraphobia has been offered as one theory on why Linn has become so reclusive.

In Linn's final interview, from 1997, she states her wish to simply remain in the background, and the eight videos filmed after this interview (mostly) comply to her wishes. Other promotional materials, such as album covers and inserts, also feature blurred, unsmiling, distinctly unhappy photographs of her. The Flowers album uses the infamous 'blue lines' photograph, where Linn's unhappy image is bizarrely hidden behind the booklet's blue line design.

In her private life, Linn (probably) continues to paint and sing. In stark contrast to the other members of the band, other details of her life, such as any detail of her life outside the band, are completely unknown. Whereas the other band members have been open about their relationships (Jonas is married with two small children, Jenny is recently married, and Ulf has a child with his long-time girlfriend), nothing is known about Linn's private life, including if she is married, has children, or in what country she resides.

Linn has written a number of songs, some of which have been released as Ace of Base songs, and some of which have never been released to the public. During the mid-1990's, Linn wrote and produced several songs, among them "Just 'N' Image", "Whispers in Blindness", and "Strange Ways" for the band's The Bridge album. Some fans believe Linn's odd behavior is explained in this last song.

Recent interviews with Linn's sister Jenny seem to indicate Linn's desire to return to the spotlight again, but as of May 2005, Linn still remains hidden from the public and has not granted an interview with any news agency or media organization. The public has not caught a glimpse of her in several years.

Sense of Humor

Linn was once well-known for her sense of humor and quick wit. When a Canadian interviewer once asked her when the band would be 'all over Canada', she quickly replied, "When we gain a lot of weight." These spontaneous off-the-cuff remarks are typical of interviews with Linn during the early and mid-1990's.

Trivia

• Speaks many languages: her native tongue is Swedish, but she speaks fluent English and German; she has also found it useful during tours to speak Spanish, Russian, and French.

External link

• Official Ace of Base website (http://www.aceofbase.com/)