Heavy music fans know Joey Tempest as the frontman of Europe. After the history of the cult band ended, Joey decided not to leave the stage and music. He built a brilliant solo career, and then returned to his offspring again.
Tempest did not need to exert himself to win the attention of music lovers. Some of Europe's "fans" just started listening to Joey Tempest. He continues to perform with the Europe team and solo.
Childhood and youth of Joey Tempest
Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (real name of a celebrity) was born on August 19, 1963 in the city of Upplands-Vesby (Stockholm). The musician repeatedly publicly expressed gratitude to his parents for his happy childhood. Mom and dad managed to create the “right” atmosphere at home, which contributed to the good development of Rolf.
The first serious hobby of the guy was sports. At first he was seriously interested in football, and then hockey. As a teenager, he dreamed of becoming a gymnastics instructor.
The formation of Rolf's musical taste was influenced by the music of bands Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy. Not only the guy, but also his parents really liked the guitar riffs and soulful compositions of popular bands.
Rolf has a brother and a sister. They often got together to listen to classic rock songs. The kids especially liked the songs. Elton John. Impressed by the artist's music, Rolf signed up for piano lessons. When he heard the music of Elvis Presley, he switched his attention from the piano to the guitar.
A talented teenager created the first team back in the 5th grade. In addition to Rolf, the group included students from the class where the guy studied. The brainchild of the young rocker was called Made in Hong Kong.
The repertoire of the new group included only one composition. It was a cover of Little Richard's Keep Knockin. Of course, no one took it seriously. The guys didn't even have musical instruments. For example, a box was a drum for a musician, a guitarist learned to do without an amplifier. And Joey Tempest played tracks on an old transistor.
The creative path of a celebrity
Joey's professional career began after meeting John Norum. Tempest has the warmest memories of meeting John:
“When I was a teenager, I met a wonderful virtuoso guitarist. At that time, John was only 14 years old, and I was 15. He played not with his fingers, but with his soul. Those melodies that his guitar published, I will remember for the rest of my life. Before meeting Norum, I did not know a single professional musician. He changed my mind and life forever.”
Joey and John became co-stars and good friends. The musicians were united not only by their love for music, but also for motorcycles. John soon invited Tempest to become part of the WC group. After Joey joined the lineup, the band changed its name to Force.
In the early 1980s, the musicians took part in the Rock-SM music competition under a new name. The musicians performed as Ultimate Europe. At that time, the group included:
- Joey Tempest;
- John Norum;
- John Levene;
- Tony Renault.
Thanks to participation in the music competition, the musicians won. As a result of the fact that the members of the group took 1st place, they signed an agreement with the label Hot Records. The Ultimate Europe team pulled out a ticket to a happy life.
Tempest played one of the main roles in the formation and popularity of the Europe team. The unique timbre of the vocalist's voice, multi-instrumentalism combined with heartfelt poems - all this contributed to the fact that the Europe group had no equal.
Artist popularity
Despite the fact that Joey played several musical instruments, he primarily positioned himself as a singer. His range ranged from baritone to tenor.
The peak of Europe's popularity was in the mid-1960s, immediately after the release of their debut LP The Final Countdown and the single of the same name. As a result, the composition became the hallmark of the group, and the team gradually became less popular.
Music lovers perceived the subsequent records and tracks very coolly. In the early 1990s, the band announced that they were taking a creative break. During this time, Joey was developing his solo career.
Solo career as a singer
In the mid-1990s, Joey presented his first solo album. We are talking about the record A Place to Call Home. The compositions that were included in the solo LP were different from those that Tempest performed as part of the Europe group.
“When I was recording my debut LP, I wanted to change the sound. I worked on the record entirely by myself. When creating a solo collection, I was guided by Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. They were original, and I wanted to become the same.
The debut LP was positively received by music lovers and music critics. As a result, the collection took the 7th position in the prestigious chart in Sweden. The second studio album Azalea Place, which was presented a few years later, achieved exactly the same results. The second album was decorated with traditional Spanish and Irish notes. In the compilation Joey Tempest, which was released in the early 2000s, Joey returned to classic rock.
The singer's music has acquired heavy notes. Fans hoped that Tempest would return to Europe and revive it. And in 2003 it became known about the reunion of the musicians. At the time of the reunion and until now, the team includes:
- Joey Tempest;
- John Norum;
- John Levene;
- Mick Michaeli;
- Jan Hoglund.
The band's discography includes 7 LPs. The last album, Walk the Earth, was released in 2017. The work of the group is still interesting to fans of heavy music, despite the change in trends.
Details of privacy
In the early 1990s, the celebrity met a girl named Lisa Worthington. The guys met in the capital of Great Britain. At the time of meeting, Lisa lost her wallet. The frontman of the group was so fascinated by the girl that he did not calm down until he found the lost thing. Six months later, the couple got married.
The couple legalized the relationship only in the early 2000s. The wedding was attended by the closest friends and relatives. The celebration featured compositions by Joey Tempest.
Tempest became a father only in 2007. He dedicated the composition New Love in Town to the birth of his first child. The song was included in the LP Last Look at Eden. After 7 years, Joey had another son.
Tempest does not like to talk about his personal life. In one of the interviews, the musician said that he values \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbhis wife and sons much more than working in a group. The couple looks very harmonious.
Joey Tempest at the present time
In 2020, the group Europe planned to go on tour in Europe. Their plans were violated by restrictions due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. To keep in touch with fans, the musicians go online. The celebrity project was called "Friday Nights with Europe".
