Ola Brunkert

Who was Ola Brunkert?

Ola Brunkert was one of the main session drummers for ABBA. Brunkert and bassist Rutger Gunnarsson are the only two side musicians to appear on every ABBA album.

Born in Örebro, Sweden, Brunkert played with Slim's Blues Gang, before joining the pop group Science Poption. He then formed the jazz-rock combo Opus III with the guitarist Janne Schaffer and by 1970 had become one of the most sought after session drummers in Stockholm.

He was not among the four members of ABBA whose faces adorned the album covers -- Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad -- but was a key supporting musician for the group as it achieved stardom. Brunkert played on the group's first single "People Need Love", their Eurovision hit "Waterloo", and consistently on a great many of their recordings throughout the 1970s. ABBA promised that 'one day we’re gonna let you hear him sing' in the liner notes for the album Arrival in 1976. His last recording session with the group was in October 1981, recording their hit single "One of Us".

He appeared on stage with ABBA at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 and played with them on their concert tours of Europe and Australia in 1977, North America and Europe in 1979 and Japan in 1980.