ABBA Star Anni-Frid Lyngstad Leads Quiet Life Years Following Tragic Death of Her Daughter

• Anni-Frid Lyngstad is one of the stars of the legendary pop supergroup ABBA.
• Lyngstad went through a tough time when she lost her daughter in a tragic accident.
• The singer now lives a quiet life with her partner, Henry Smith, occasionally singing and engaging in charity and environmental works.

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad is a member of ABBA, which is a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972. The group's founders are Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, and Benny Andersson.

The name "ABBA" is a palindrome created from the initial letters of the group members' names. Lyngstad is honored to be part of one of the most renowned and successful musical groups in history. However, she has had her own share of misfortunes.

Born on November 15, 1945, in Ballangen outside of Narvik, Norway, Lyngstad was raised by her grandmother, Agny. Lyngstad's father, Alfred Haase, left Norway before her birth and is believed to have disappeared when his ship sank on the journey back to Germany.

Lyngstad moved to Sweden when she was 18 months old to stay with her grandmother. Less than two years after the singer was born, her mother, Synni Lyngstad, died. Lyngstad and her grandmother lived in Torshälla, just outside of the town of Eskilstuna.

Years later, the singer described her grandmother as a "strict, pedantic, and industrious" woman, attributes which she inherited. Lyngstad is also a kind and firm person, depending on the circumstances. She added, "She brought me up, of course, I copied her and was shaped by her way of being, towards herself and towards me too."

Lyngstad made her stage debut at the age of 11 during a Red Cross charity event. By the time she was 13, she had already begun her career as an underage vocalist in a dance band. In 1961, Lyngstad met her first husband, Ragnar Fredriksson. They became parents to two children: Hans Ragnar, born in 1963, and Ann Lise-Lotte, born in 1967. Fredriksson and Lyngstad divorced in 1970.

The singer won a talent contest on September 3, 1967, in Stockholm and was featured on national television singing her winning song. Soon, she was signed by EMI. Lyngstad remained a well-known stage artist. From 1972 and for the next decade, she concentrated on her work with ABBA. During these ABBA years, the singer reunited with her father through the German pop magazine Bravo.

Unfortunately, ABBA split up in 1982. Andersson recalled how they felt the group was done in the 1980s when they stopped recording. The four members had a company, so what they earned used to go to it. When the group broke up, they split the money four ways and promised each other if they wanted to revive ABBA in the years to come, they would.

After the split, Lyngstad recorded her first solo English language album, "Something's Going On" in 1982. The album was followed by "Shine" in 1984. These albums joined Lyngstad's Swedish-language solo album "Frida ensam" (" Frida Alone"), released in 1975. After releasing "Shine," the singer withdrew from the public.

Still, Lyngstad recently made a comeback to the music industry with ABBA to start their Voyage tour around the world. However, as the group gets ready to spread its good music and joy, the singer isn't the same, having endured heartwrenching grief in her life.

After Lyngstad and Fredriksson divorced, the singer was briefly married to another group member Andersson from 1978 to 1981. In 1992, Lyngstad entered another marriage, tying the knot with Prince Heinrich Ruzzo Reuss of Plauen. This union with the prince from the once-sovereign House of Reuss bestowed upon the singer the titles of Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen.

Sadly, on October 29, 1999, the prince died of lymphoma in Stockholm, Sweden. Lyngstad described her late husband as an "amazing, wonderful, spiritual," and "funny human being" whom she "loved more than anything." The prince, who got cancer at 49, changed the singer's life as she became a stepmother to his two daughters.

Losing a husband was hard for Lyngstad, considering just a year before, she had lost her daughter in a terrible and unexpected way. Lise-Lotte died at only 30 on January 13, 1998, in a traffic accident that took place in Livonia, New York, a town just 20 miles south of Rochester.

Lyngstad opened up about losing her daughter, saying that grieving took many years as she went through an "incomprehensible sadness." "You can feel like you can barely survive," she added.

Today, the singer lives a lowkey life, engaging in charity and environmental work. During Zermatt's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn, Lyngstad contributed to a tribute song called "1865."

She has also made guest appearances on albums by artists like Jon Lord in "The Sun Will Shine Again," Filippa Giordano in "La Bacarolle," and Ratata in "Så länge vi har varan." In 2018, Lyngstad released her latest recording, a new Spanish version of "Andante, Andante" with Arturo Sandoval, featured on his album "Ultimate Duets."

Following her husband's passing, Lyngstad assumed the titles of Dowager Princess and Countess. She now lives with her British partner Henry Smith, the fifth Viscount Hambleden, in Genolier VD, Switzerland. The two have been together since 2007, and Lyngstad said they are a good combination as he is the opposite of her.