Lasse Stefanz

With a career spanning several decades, Swedish dansband Lasse Stefanz play music in a country style. One of Sweden's most popular dansbands of its era, the group broke through to mainstream success in 1982 with the hit single "Oh Julie" and was reliably popular in the years thereafter, releasing a new album each year and topping the Swedish charts with regularly after the turn of the century. Founded in 1967 in Kristianstad, Sweden, the band is comprised of Olle Jönsson (vocals), Christer Ericsson (guitar), Anders Pettersson (keyboard, accordion), Lars Sigfridsson (bass), Hans Sigfridsson (guitar, saxophone), and Gunnar Nilsson (drums). Lasse Stefanz made their commercial recording debut in 1970 with the single "Kära Rut." Several years later the band made its album debut with Vad Tiden Går (1974). While Lasse Stefanz released an album more or less annually throughout the remainder of the 1970s, they didn't break through to mainstream success until 1982 with the hit single "Oh Julie" and the accompanying album of the same name. From this point in time onward, Lasse Stefanz were one of Sweden's most successful dansbands, releasing a new album more or less annually throughout the remainder of the century. After the turn of the century, Lasse Stefanz's popularity had risen to such heights that their new full-length releases regularly topped the Swedish albums chart. Such was the case with Vagabond (2007), Rallarsväng (2008), and Truck Stop (2009), all of which were number one hits.