Tomas Folke Jonas Ledin (born 25 February 1952, in Rätan, Sweden) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He grew up in the town of Sandviken.
Tomas Ledin started his career in 1972 when his first single, Då ska jag spela, was a big hit. Other successful songs followed: Blå, blå känslor (1973), (covered by Björn Skifs), Knivhuggarrock (1975), Festen har börjat (1976), and I natt är jag din (1977). At the beginning of the 70s, Ledin was influenced by hippie fashion and demonstrated against the Vietnam war. He also took part in a Swedish stage production of the musical Gospell in 1975 and performed in 140 concerts in the Swedish folkparks in 1977.
In 1979, ABBA member Benny Andersson offered him a chance to record for the group's company Polar Music. The singer joined Abba on their 1979-1980 tour as a backing vocalist, but also got the opportunity to sing his own composition Not bad at all during the show. Tomas Ledin also appeared on the Abba Live DVD and on the Super Trouper Video.
He won the Swedish Melodifestivalen in 1980 and represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest that year with Just nu!. The song was a big hit in Scandinavia, but also in Greece and Portugal since Ledin recorded an English version, Right now.
In 1982, he released the duet Never Again with Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA fame; the song reached number one in Chile (in its Spanish version Ya nunca más) and was popular across Europe. Ledin also composed Take good care of your children, which Fältskog released in 1983 on her album Wrap your arms around me. Another composition by the singer, I Got Something, was released by Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA on her album Something's going on.
In the 80s, Ledin was very successful in Scandinavia but his career abroad failed to reach the same level. He nevertheless toured Germany and the Netherlands on a small scale in 1982, and the following year, he played in front of 60,000 people at the Olympic stadium in Berlin, in a show with other international acts.
He decided to put an end to his career in 1984 and started to act as a producer for Record Station, his wife's record company. He discovered other singers and successfully produced artists such as Pugh Rogefeldt and Magnus Ugglas. In 1985, he organized a concert for ANC featuring several Swedish artists.
Three years later, Tomas Ledin started to compose again and wrote songs in English. The album Down on the pleasure avenue was released but was not successful. Ledin was very disappointed but started to compose again, in Swedish this time. He started to enjoy success again in 1990 when he released a compilation and a new album, Tillfällighetrenas spel, and has been one of the best selling artists in Sweden since then.
In 2000, 260,000 copies of his compilation album Festen har börjat (samlingsalbum) were sold in Sweden, which meant he was awarded three platinum records there. The same year he was also awarded a gold record in Finland for the first time. In 2002, he went on the biggest tour ever planned in Scandinavia and performed in 27 shows in Sweden and 8 shows in the rest of Scandinavia. More than 250,000 people saw this show in Northern Europe.
He has been married since 1983 to record company president Marie Ledin, daughter of Stig Anderson.
Discography 1972 - Restless mind 1973 - Hjärtats rytm 1975 - Knivhuggarrock 1976 - Natten är ung 1977 - Tomas Ledin 1978 - Fasten seatbelts 1978 - Tagen på bar gärning (live album) 1979 - Ut på stan 1980 - Looking for a good time 1982 - Gränslös 1982 - The Human touch 1982 - Sommaren är kort 1983 - Captured 1985 - En galen kväll (live album) 1988 - Down on the Pleasure Avenue 1990 - Ett samlingsalbum 1990 - Tillfälligheternas spel 1993 - Du kan lita på mig 1996 - T 1997 - Sånger att älska till 2000 - Vuodet 1972–2000 2000 - Djävulen & ängeln 2001 - Festen har börjat (samlingsalbum) 2002 - Hela vägen 2003 - I sommarnattens ljus 2003 - Ledin: Just då! (DVD) 2004 - Med vidöppna fönster 2006 - Plektrum 2009 - 500 dagar om året
