What Marie Fredriksson and Roxette gave the world of music

Roxette, the pop music band formed by Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle in 1986 were one of the biggest music exports from Sweden after Abba. Fredriksson was born in southern Sweden on May 30, 1958, and had her artistic breakthrough in 1984 in Sweden. Two years later, she formed the duo Roxette with Gessle, and in 1989, the pair had their international breakthrough with The Look'.'

The pair met in the Swedish coastal town of Halmstad in the late '70s, but individual projects (and success, for that matter) kept them from a collaboration. It wasn't until 1986 that they finally agreed to join creative forces. Fredriksson and Gessle as Roxette came out of Sweden in the late '80s with one goal — to conquer the pop world.

They achieved international success with their albums 'Look Sharp!' in 1988 and 'Joyride' in 1991, and had six top two hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair sold 80 million records worldwide and embarked on world tours.

But the duo's most famous song is 'It Must Have Been Love', written by Gessle. The ballad was their third number one hit in the US, and gained popularity after it was featured in the 1990 film 'Pretty Woman', starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere..

Fredriksson was diagnosed in 2002 with a severe brain tumour after she fainted in her bathroom, knocking herself unconscious. Tests confirmed the worst — a malignant brain tumour — and the famous Joyride pair were no more.

But Fredriksson proved to be a fighter. After almost 10 years on and five years in remission, Roxette reunited and embarked on a world tour, even landing at the Dubai World Trade Centre for a show in 2011.

"This is the best rehab in the world for Marie," said Gessle then, ahead of their Dubai show. "The love and affection she receives from fans is just phenomenal and keeps her so strong."

In 2013, Fredriksson released her eighth solo album, 'Nu!', and went on a tour of Sweden. In 2015, Roxette announced they would be embarking on a new leg of their 'The Neverending World Tour', starting in Russia.

But just two years later, in 2016, the band cancelled the tour due to concerns about Fredriksson's health. "Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that followed us on our long and winding journey," she said in a statement.

On Tuesday, December 11, Fredriksson's management, The Dimberg Jernberg agency, announced the tragic news. "It is with great sadness we have to announce that Marie Fredriksson of Roxette has passed away in the morning of December 9, following a 17-year long battle with cancer," it said.

Gessle posted a heart-warming message following the news. "Time goes by so quickly. It’s not that long ago we spent days and nights in my tiny apartment in Halmstad, listening to music we loved, sharing impossible dreams," he said. "And what a dream we eventually got to share! Thank you Marie, thanks for everything. You were an outstanding musician, a master of the voice, an amazing performer. Thanks for painting my black and white songs with the most beautiful colours. You were the most wonderful friend for over forty years. I’m proud, honoured and happy to have been able to share so much of your time, talent, warmth, generosity and your sense of humour. All my love goes out to you and your family. Things will never be the same."

Fredriksson is survived by her husband, Mikael Bolyos, and their two children, Josefin and Oscar. She was 61.