Ola Brunkert

Ola Brunkert (September 15, 1946 – March 16, 2008) 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 dr... more

Ola Brunkert (September 15, 1946 – March 16, 2008) 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 he was a key supporting musician for the group as it achieved stardom. Brunkert played on the group's first single "People Need Love", their famous 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... less