Joey Tempest

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Joey Tempest, real name Joakim Larsson, was born on August 19, 1963 in Upplands Väsby, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. He attends the ‘Odenslunda school’ being in love with the music since he was a child, his first idol was Elton John and his song ‘Crocodile rock’. Thanks to his sister he starts to play piano and acoustic guitar, performing his songs for his schoolmates during lessons or inviting his friends in his garage at home. His first band is named ‘Made in Hong Kong’, really influenced by Sweet and Slade: he sings and plays guitar, the bass sometimes; the next step is ‘Roxanne’, a group playing seriously. Then he met John Norum: in 1981, being only eighteen years old, he joins Force; in a very short time the ‘story’ was going to start , the one that will make Europe famous all over the world. Among the other things regarding Europe, we have got to remember Joey who makes his debut as a producer of Tone Norum, John Norum’ sister, in 1985: moreover, he makes the background vocals and plays all the instruments except for some guitar and drums solos. The single ‘Stranded’ becomes a hit, a song not far from Europe style, more soft and pop like. In the same year Joey writes the song ‘Give a helping hand’, a collection for Etiopia, recorded by ‘Swedish metal aid’, a band composed of the best Swedish hardrockers. The producer of this single is Kee Marcello! In 1992 he collaborates again with John Norum in ‘Face the truth: Joey sings on ‘Will be strong’ and participates to the lyric ‘Counting on your love’: a very pleasant result. His life is closely connected to the Europe one (you can read something more on ‘Europe-biography’), being him for a long time the only success maker, the only author of lyrics and songs. However, Europe seems today history. Joey, tired of the wild life led for ten years, takes a break to try to think about what happened; in the meanwhile, he has become more mature, he started to open his views and to look for the inspiration that would have let him to debut as a solo singer. ‘A place to call home’ is the outcome; the album, a crossing between the west coast American sound back to the Seventies and the North European country-folk, got success in Europe and in Japan, carring Joey on tour there. Now, we’re waiting for the release of the second album ‘Azalea place’, a work made entirely in US: a whole year spent in Nashville, a further deepening of the traditional American sound, a more intimate investigation through his most hidden soul’ places.

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