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Little Gerhard

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Little Gerhard
Little Gerhard in Helsingborg, 1959
Little Gerhard in Helsingborg, 1959
Background information
Also known asLittle Gerhard
Born
Karl-Gerhard Lundkvist

(1934-05-17)17 May 1934
Västerås, Sweden
Died14 July 2026(2026-07-14) (aged 92)
OccupationSinger
Spouse
Theptong Lundkvist
​
(m. 2012)​
Little Gerhard in Kungsträdgården 2009

Karl-Gerhard Lundkvist (17 May 1934 – 14 July 2026), known under his stage name Little Gerhard, was a Swedish singer and rock musician. He had music hits between 1958 and the mid-1960s with "Buona Sera", "What You've Done to Me", and "Den siste mohikanen".[1]

Early life and career

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Karl-Gerhard Lundkvist was born on 17 May 1934 in Tillberga, Sweden.[2] In his early years he boarded a ship and became a sailor. He made his stage debut in 1952 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, at the nightclub "Trocadero".[3] At that time he played guitar and the accordion.[2][4]

After ending his career as a sailor he moved to Stockholm, where he entered several amateur singing competitions, and he later saw success as a rock musician.[5] His first music group was called Halen, which he performed with at New Year's Eve 1957.[6] Via this concert he signed with the record label Karusell. He released his first music album in 1958, called Little Gerhard; the song "What You've Done to Me" became his first hit.[7] Already in March of the same year he was named "Sweden's rock music king", and in August that year he also was named "the rock music king of the Nordics".[8][9] He made his film debut in the 1958 film Det svänger på slottet.[10]

His third music album became, at its release in 1958, the best-selling music album within Swedish rock 'n' roll during the 1950s, and Little Gerhard's Gold certified record.[11] He and his band, the G-men, toured for five years each summer starting in 1959.[12]

While touring in West Germany in 1959 he got to meet Elvis Presley, who was stationed for military duty in the country at that time. Little Gerhard's manager had sent his recordings to Presley, who agreed to meet him, and praised his music single "No Wedding Today".[13] Elvis and Little Gerhard also planned to attend a concert in Frankfurt together, but Presley's commanding officer in the army denied him leave to attend.[14]

In 1961, he started to sing in Swedish, his native tongue, now under the artist name Little Gerhard for the first time.[15] His song "Blommor och bin" charted on the Svensktoppen list.[16] He also did recordings in West Germany and sang in German.[17]

By the late 1960s, he focused on his career as a songwriter and producer.[18] He composed and produced the song "Ska vi plocka körsbär i min trädgård?", performed by Ann-Christine Bärnsten in Melodifestivalen 1975.[19][20] He participated in Melodifestivalen 1982 broadcast on SVT with the song "Hand i hand med dig" in a duet with singer Yvonne Olsson.[21]

Personal life and death

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Gerhard married his wife Theptong Lundkvist in 2012.[22] He died on 14 July 2026, at the age of 92.[22]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ↑ Radionostalgi.se: Little Gerhard. radionostalgi.se. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 Alper, Eric (14 July 2026). "Swedish Rock Pioneer Little Gerhard Dies At 92". That Eric Alper. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  3. ↑ xlibris (13 February 2012). "Little Gerhard gästar Cadillac Band". Ölandsbladet. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "80-årig rockkung till stan". Uppsala Nya Tidning. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ↑ Shimoda, Anna & Hans (15 June 2021). "Nu berättar den 87-årige rocklegendaren". Aftonbladet.
  6. ↑ "Little Gerhard gifter sig för femte gången". 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018 – via Aftonbladet.
  7. ↑ Oleander, Linus. What You've Done To Me av Little Gerhard. Radiofy. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "Farbror Sid". Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "Rockkungen Little Gerhard ångar på ännu". Hallands Nyheter. 21 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Det svänger på slottet (1959) – Svensk Filmdatabas". Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Little Gerhard". Discogs. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Little Gerhard and his rocking G-men – Svensk mediedatabas (SMDB)". smdb.kb.se. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Lindh, Niklas (2 February 2024). "Exklusiv för Dansbandsnytt: Little Gerhard, 90, stolt över mötet med Elvis". Dansbandsnytt.
  14. ↑ "Melloprofilen sörjer rockkungen: "Lite chockad fortfarande"". TV4 Nyheterna. 14 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Melin, Thomas (24 September 2013). "Nyheter detalj". Göteborgs universitet. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "BLOMMOR OCH BIN av LITTLE GERHARD". NostalgiListan. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  17. ↑ Klinthage, Jörgen (9 October 2018). "Elvis kompis rockar loss – på äldreboende – Sydöstran". Sydöstran. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Rock'n'roll och dess pionjärer – Outtrigger.se". 21 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  19. ↑ Swedish rock pioneer Little Gerhard dies at 92 Sweden Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Rockikonen Little Gerhard död". Sydsvenskan. 14 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Sweden, Sveriges Television AB, Stockholm. "Melodifestivalen 1982". svt.se. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. 1 2 Shimoda, Anna & Hans (14 July 2026). "Little Gerhard är död – blev 92 år". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Åsa-Nisse i kronans kläder (1958) – Svensk Filmdatabas". Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
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