Blond

The Formation of a Swedish Boy Band

Blond formed in 1990 as a Swedish boy band. The group consisted of three members: Jonas Karlhager, Gabriel Forss, and Patrik Lundström. The trio grew up in Sweden during the golden age of European pop music, and they quickly developed a clean, melodic sound that suited the taste of the Swedish mainstream audience. Gabriel Forss was born on 17 April 1974 in Katrineholm. He also became one of the founding members of the choir One Voice, which he started in 1994. Together, the three young singers worked hard to build a name for themselves on the Swedish music scene throughout the early 1990s.

Melodifestivalen 1997 and Breakthrough Success

Blond entered Melodifestivalen 1997 with the song “Bara hon älskar mig”, written by Stephan Berg.  The Melodifestivalen final took place in the SVT Studios in Gothenburg on 8 March 1997. This show reached nearly three million viewers. The winner was chosen by 11 regional juries. Blond won convincingly, and their victory launched them into the national spotlight almost overnight. The group also recorded the song with English lyrics, titling it “Baby, I’ll Die For You.” Moreover, this bilingual release showed the group’s ambition to reach audiences beyond Sweden.

Eurovision and a Busy Summer

Following their Melodifestivalen win, Blond represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 in Dublin, Ireland. Their entry finished in 14th place with 36 points, giving Sweden its worst result in five years. Despite this, the group stayed busy and kept performing. That summer, the group toured Sweden and performed in national parks and also at the Water Festival in Stockholm. Their live shows attracted large crowds, and they continued to build a loyal fan base across the country. The summer of 1997 therefore remained one of the most active and visible periods of their career as a group.

The Album and Going Separate Ways

After their busy touring schedule, Blond released an album, but after that the members went in different directions. Like many pop acts of that era, the group found it difficult to sustain the momentum that a national competition victory brings. Each member began to focus on solo paths and individual projects. Nevertheless, their time together had already left a mark on Swedish pop culture. They reunited temporarily for a schlager night at Stockholm Pride in Tantolunden in 2006, showing that the affection for the group had not faded with time.

Gabriel Forss: A Career Built on Choral Music

After Blond, Gabriel Forss carved out the most prominent solo career among the three members. He hosted the Saturday entertainment show “Förfest hos Gabriel” on SVT in 2007, and in 2010 he served as expert commentator on the TV4 programme Körslaget, returning in 2011 with his own choir, where he finished in second place. Furthermore, he worked as a vocal coach on the reality show “Fame Factory” on TV3, and took part in “Så ska det låta” on SVT, as well as serving as programme host for “Karlavagnen” on Swedish Radio. Forss also went on to provide backing vocals for Charlotte Nilsson‘s winning Eurovision entry “Take Me to Your Heaven” in 1999, and backed the Maltese entry the following year. 

Gabriel Forss Today

Gabriel Forss is today recognised as one of Sweden’s leading choir conductors, gathering and inspiring more than two thousand singers each week through his Happy Voices choirs in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. He also released a self-biography titled Äntligen, exploring themes of mental health, faith, and identity. In January 2025, he led what was called Sweden’s most powerful sing-along evening for Cancerfonden at Cancergalan on TV4. Meanwhile, Jonas Karlhager has been associated with television appearances including Allsång på Skansen, as noted on his IMDb profile. Blond may have been a brief chapter, but the careers it launched,  especially Forss’s, continue to resonate across Swedish entertainment to this day.