Bobby's Tale - How I became the big ABBA fan I am now.

[@marcelosegovia7180]

Wow!! It was inevitable for me to have some tears in my eyes while watching your video and feeling all the love for ABBA you feel... and somehow, took me back to my childhood when I fell in love with them. I was around 6 years old and they had released Gracias por la Música, a whole album in Spanish ( I am from Argentina). We couldn't buy any records but ABBA was in every single radio station, in every speaker around the neighborhood, in tv shows, etc... I didn't know anything about them ( I thought they were from Spain) but my grand parents, uncles and aunts, my parents, everybody loved them... When I grew up and could afford buying cassettes and CDs I started discovering their magic, their talent, the beauty of their music and Gosh... their perfection!!! And it was a love that we couldn't show the world: ABBA back in the 90's was vintage, kitch and even a shame until the first ABBA Gold appeared and then it was euphoria again, and many world music acts started to show their ABBA devotion... and a little hope began to touch our little hearts... but I never imagined o dreamed that I live enough to see them together again or record a new fantastic album. Now I'm 48 years and I swear that I cried like a child when I listened for the first time I still have faith in you and Don't shut me down. I turned 6 again and repeated out loud: "that's Agnetha!! That's Frida!! That's the ABBA sound!!!" I'm so grateful for living this special time.

[@alexioverdo5225]

I was a little older than you when my dad brought me from a trip to Madrid the GPLM album as a Xmas present in 1980.I was ready to buy the "Super Trouper' album too.Had to wait some weeks till Xmas holidays to listen to them since my turntable was broken and my aunt's new Dual hi fi stero was 400 miles away.When the time had come we had the best Xmas of our life blended with Abba sounds....till 2021.That was the 2nd best Xmas happiest with Abba back again.

[@victorhugotoledocofre1366]

Thank you very much for obliging me, BB. I'll treasure this story deeply in my heart. 💗❤💚🧡💙

[@jayamahacar]

I'm 49 years old from Asia. I'm suffering from ABBA fever and addicted to their music.

[@marcelosandoval2130]

Aren't you the sweetest, granting a special wish to a fan with this video. It speaks a great deal of the lovely human being you are, BB. Glad to view your personal story with ABBA.

[@tuijakarttunen9164]

Agree 100%. Well said.

[@seanb6259]

Brought a tear to my eye Bobby! So lovely to see such passion for Abba in someone so young! My passion has grown over the years and with maturity and life behind me I have found so much more in their music since than I ever thought possible. The sheer brilliance of the songwriting and compositions that I loved as a kid but didn't fully appreciate at that time, I just adored them and the music - but so much I admire and enjoy all over again as a 55yr old! I love them so much and they bring my so much joy and happiness that I could ver comprehend? No other music has had this affect on me so profoundly as Abba have. There is definitely something deeper and more profound going on we cannot ever understand, maybe one day we will crack this code - or maybe we leave it as it is, as its something very special indeed. Thanks again BB for all your hard work and time bring all this new info on them to light in such a joyous and interesting way, you are a legend my friend! x

[@Kraftymark]

BB, all the way from Australia, your story brought me to tears, again. I think I cry nearly every video that you post. This one especially, reminded me how I got to know ABBA, in 1977 when I was 4 years old. My father recorded me on cassette tape singing Hasta Manana. I have so many memories from back then. Apparently, my Mum says that I said the word 'abba' before I said Mum or Dad. I am not surprised. ABBA has been my greatest love for 45 years...

[@TheFridaFan]

This is so nice. It's your origin story!

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

THIS is what I want to know. ABBA entered my life via radio in 1976 - Dancing Queen and Knowing Me Knowing You were in constant rotation. Then, that autumn, my French teacher lent us Grace 7 kids his ABBA - The Album record. I was hooked. I was 12/13.

[@graphiquejack]

I don’t have a definitive time or event when I first discovered ABBA. My earliest memories of being aware of them were through my older brother owning the Greatest Hits collection with them on the benches in the park, and my best friend’s parents who had all of the ABBA albums and we used to listen to them together when I visited his home. Then I sort of forgot about ABBA… hearing their songs on the radio or in movies like Muriel’s Wedding and Priscilla… until finally going to see the Mamma Mia movie and remembering just how good all those old songs were. I bought a boxed CD set of all their albums and reawakened my love for them… especially cementing the special place Frida holds for me as my favourite member of the group. And the rest is history…

[@flyteoffancy]

I was 10 years old in 1976, and I saw the Greatest Hits album in the record store, the one with the 2 couples on the bench. I begged my mom to buy it for me because I’d heard and fallen in love with I Do, I Do, I Do. After that I would make sure I was at the store on the day when each new album was released. I suffered so much teasing and belittling from the other kids for being such an ABBA fan, which it was definitely NOT cool to be in Canada in those days. So many clear, intense memories surround bringing each album home and playing it to death in my room on my stereo turntable. The night the two new songs were released I stayed up the whole night playing them over and over and sobbing.

[@genewebb2837]

When abba😊 broke through worldwide with Waterloo it did not make me a fan at first it wasn't until I heard honey honey that made me want to buy everything they ever had recorded it's been nearly 50 years how fast time goes by but they will always be my favorite hot band in the world

[@carlosgarjon8340]

Great and emotional video, Bobby's Brother. You're very young and it's a pity you didn't live their golden years in the 70s and 80s when ABBA were everyday in our lives and in the world. They were in the top of the music business. I discovered them in the Eurovision Song Contest and from that moment on, they have always been a part of my life. And now we are living a second golden age, many facts have merged and you are a part of it. I agree with you, ABBA have blessed my life too.

[@marikesl]

BB, I've got to say, this, along with your first impressions of the "Voyage" show, has to be the most moving video you've done so far, thank you so, so, so much for sharing your personal story and memories with all of us!!! I know I've told my story on here before, but since you asked - I never get tired of sharing it!😉It's so awesome that both of us actually discovered our four musical heroes and friends in 2004 - like you said, an important year for the two of us, indeed! For me, it all started when I was in the car with an adult friend of mine who asked me whether I wanted to listen to some music, pulling out a cassette - ah, those were the days!😉- of, in her own words, "a band from my youth I really like". I said yes and she put on the cassette. It turned out to be "ABBA Gold", but of course, I didn't know that at the time. That sound was completely different to the music I would hear on the radio. I had only just started learning English at school, so I didn't understand much of the lyrics, but even so, just through the music, and I was hooked! Like with you, BB, I heard the very first notes and it was love at first sound, so to speak. From that point on, I actually used ABBA's lyrics to practice my English, and everytime I was in the car with my friend later and we would listen to the cassette, I would always ask her: "What are they singing about? What does this mean?" The next stage in my love affair with ABBA was my godmother giving me a CD of "ABBA Gold" which played on repeat every day for the next years and which I still treasure to this day. So it was really her and my friend who introduced me to ABBA - bless them for doing that, now and always! Next, my Mum bought me the book "Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You?", as well as the documentary "The Winner Takes It All - The ABBA Story". So one can say that my first introduction to ABBA was purely audio and the visuals gradually came later - of course, I was hooked all over again, looking endlessly at those four beautiful and talented people, who always seemed so likable and approachable, just the way they were smiling at me from the photos in the book. And then, I heard them speak and saw them as they are today - well, 1999 in the case of the documentary - and I vividly remember how beautiful I thought their English sounded, mixed in with their Swedish accents. In 2007, I went to see "Mamma Mia" in Hamburg, and even got to see an ABBA cover band in my hometown. At the time, I thought this would be the closest I would ever get to experiencing ABBA's music live. Around that time, I also started collecting their individual studio albums, starting with "Arrival" on vinyl, and just last year, now having my very own record player, I completed my collection, though I still have to get some of the Ladies' solo work. And then the utter shock and disbelief on September 2nd 2021, as well as November 5th - I will NEVER forget those moments...! To be honest, everytime I think back to the moment when Benny said: "We have made a new album with ABBA" I still feel the urge to pinch myself, over and over and over again. And the same goes for August 26th 2022 when I stood in line at the Arena. I told the security guy that I had been an ABBA fan for 18 years and he said: "Oh, so this is a big deal?" If only he knew...! On those three dates, my dream came true, that shimmer of hope that you also talk about, BB, that I always distantly clung to, but at the same time was disillusioned over and over again with statements like "It's a complete impossibility that we will ever reunite" from Björn. I truly agree with you when you say music has to be something divine that already exists some place else. And again, I am so, so, so happy that we can all come together here to share our love for it and for the people who created it: ABBA!!!

[@jewishgamergirl]

Wow. For me, it was TikTok then watching Mamma Mia 1!

[@helenstephens1246]

My love for abba began in 1976 when I was 12 years old and I heard them on the radio. They were everywhere. Honey honey was the song that got me hooked and I had to buy the greatest hits album after I saw it advertised on tv . And I was hooked

[@kiamgurk2495]

I heard KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU first sung by a child in fantasyEnglish. The melody catched me - AHAAA 😊. Weeks later i heard the song original by ABBA and I was in love with them since 1976 ❤. I was 8 years old.

[@davidwakefield5002]

In 1979 my cousin had two tickets to ABBA's concert at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, the two of us were huge fans before but seeing them live made us absolutely devoted to thier energy, emotion at diversity of music . When we were headed home in our car we stopped at a light signal and a limoseine pulled up next to us in the other lane , it was them!!!. We turned and clapped politely and waved while the signal was still red , then the window rolled down with Benny and Anni Frid looking out and asked us if we had seen the show!! , We cheered and said they were beautiful, Anni Frid said we were beautiful too!! , Then the signal changed , she blew us a kiss and we all waved as we drove off... I've always been a devoted ABBA fan and even more so after that , and then now to have a brand new album and spectacular show!! , Wow!!.. I'll have to admit .. I still can't listen to " I Still Have Faith in You", without it bringing a tear to my eye , all those emotions from years gone by are now just as fresh as they were 40 years ago!!.. Wow!!.. Thank you ABBA Bless you All... And who knows they might remember that, we were driving a bright Yellow car , kind of hard to miss , wouldn't that be too much , you never know , I bet Anni Frid would remember!!.. haha here's hoping.. Lots of Love to ABBA!!!...

[@DiegoMartinezDP]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story, BB! I have never thought of it but there is a great component of hope in not only one being an ABBA fan but the music, and ultimately, the story of the band itself...that despite their individual twists and turns, the music still survived...and in what way! My story starts in '94. I was already a huge fan of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, and the Carpenters, and I heavily surrounded myself with music from the 50s-80s (I had a healthy diet of radio music from that era back home in Venezuela). For some reason, I had missed ABBA along the way but it wouldn't be for long. Their image was brought back into the limelight because of the "Gold" compilation, and their songs filled the airwaves once more. That's how I got to know them: through the radio. I heard a special program about them, their music, and their story. From the moment Benny's piano glissando on "Dancing Queen" came up, I knew this was MY music. I taped the whole show and listened to it for hours. My infatuation only increased once I put the songs to an image when I finally watched the videos on local TV. I was transfixed seeing their faces and how their glow would pop off the screen. I urged my mom to get the "Gold" double LP, which she did for my birthday. Naturally, I wore the album out that I even had to buy it on cassette and CD. If I went to a family member's place, and they had a turntable, I specifically requested them to play "ABBA Gold" for me, and I would sit on the floor listening to every single song. I could go on about it all...the times I threw child tantrums because I couldn't get the "ABBA Gold" VHS, the time I accidentally sat on top of the "More ABBA Gold" CD my dad had bought on a trip around the US, that other time when I tried to get the "Thank You For The Music" box set using a page from my dad's checkbook....even those moments when the internet was new and all I wanted to search was ABBA. Thankfully, by then, the official site was up and so was ABBAMail, a real treasure trove, and early community for many of us fans. Eventually, I was able to join a fan club (one set in the UK, I believe), and connect with people who were selling memorabilia. Many other artists and songs have entered my life since then, and I've been through all kinds of fads and trends, but my love for ABBA remains as vibrant and strong as it did almost 30 years ago. I guess there was a part of me that held on to the hope that one day, they'd be together again. Little by little, I chipped away at that hope, and like you, I was fooled and shocked by their social media announcement many moons ago. It felt like welcoming friends you haven't seen in a long time. That's what Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Frida mean to me. They're the longest friends I've ever had and their positive impact in my life is one that I hold very dear.

[@alexioverdo5225]

10:51 oh my God!Chills!The backing vocals of the interlude from "Our last summer".What a heavenly summer breeze, i'm wet eyed.

[@jorgevillavicencio427]

Thank you, Bobby's Brother. You are a wonderful storyteller. And how gracious of you to dedicate this beautiful video to Victor Hugo. You are a true gentleman and deserve all the praise you get. There are some aspects of my young life as a newly arrived immigrant in the United States that were very painful. I had no family to lean on. I had no friends or any support group. I was left at the mercy of the system which provided me with a sponsor who turned out to be a very nefarious character. I work very hard and saved my money in order to get out of the situation but one day when I came home from work I found that the lock of the flat had been changed. I waited for hours until the persons came home. I retrieved what little possessions I had and I went into the streets. Among those things were 3 record albums, one was ABBA'S Arrival. I still have that record. The jacket is damaged and stained. The vinyl is ruined and warped. But I will never let it go. I found my way to a shelter for youth in distress and through their services I was able to come out of the dark. I know I have written to you before, and you did answer. This new video gave me the inspiration to share with you that part of my life, however sad. But ABBA's music was there for me and because of the beauty in their music I didn't fall into despair. God bless you, Bobby's Brother.

[@MarcelSonnega]

What a wonderful surprise. It is so funny that ABBA 's music does this to people, and even more funny that this happened to you in a time when ABBA wasn't really active anymore. Their music does symbolize hope whether sung by puppets, avatars or the real Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Annifrid. Thanks for your dad for bringing you those wonderful albums, you are a treasure for the ABBA community!

[@allkindsofcollecting]

Absolutely fantastic to hear this! It was really fascinating, and quite astounding as my introduction to ABBA’s music also came with The Definitive Collection, albeit the DVD, which was given to me by my grandparents. It truly was a life altering moment to see these four mysteriously yet gloriously clothed people performing and wowing the world as they did so! Nothing will ever change about that as they continue to wow the world in their glorious clothing each day! Truly astounding. Great stuff! :)

[@gagedevall7645]

thats crazy!! thats how i really got in to ABBA as well!!

[@WhitneyHouston4eva1]

What an amazing story of you discovering ABBA. The Last Video was used in the interval of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest to mark the 30th Anniversary of ABBA winning with Waterloo. It was with Waterloo that was my introduction to them. They had won Eurovision and the song was on radio and TV. My 8th birthday was coming up in June, and I had asked for the single along with another hit from the charts. I received both. ABBA didn't get much success in the UK until late 1975 when SOS was released followed by Mamma Mia and that was when I became a big fan of them and their music.

[@garlen8]

It was the summer of 1975 when I first heard ABBA, I was 15, my family and I were camping in West Central Illinois,USA. Waterloo came on the radio. To my surprise my mother and father were dancing in the sand of the beach, I never seen that before. Then we all were dancing. Then later on in the future I heard S.O.S. I was awe struck! There after I went on my personal search for everything they made. I am 60 now, still loving ABBA. I have even scheduled my funeral music to be Arrival. As it would be my Arrival in heaven. There is a reason why people cried when they knew ABBA made a new album, it’s because we missed them. I will love ABBA until I die. Jag älskar dig!

[@evasuchozova5030]

Milý Bobby's Brothers, Vaše videá pozerám už dlhšie, objavila som vás náhodou v súvislosti s novým albumom ABBA. Túto skupinu milujem od detstva, je to moja láska a zároveň psychohygiena. Vždy mi pomohli, keď mi bolo najhoršie. Vy robíte neuveriteľnú prácu, ponúkate ľuďom množstvo informácií. Obdivujem Vás za to, a želám len to najlepšie. Pokračujte, je to pre tento svet jedna z kolosálnych vecí, ktorá prispieva k jeho poludšteniu. Vrelá vďaka. S úctou a vďakou, pozdravujem zo Slovenska.

[@aalmetairef]

This is the definitive meaning of pleasure and happiness for me since 1975 when I was 13 years old. Listening to their songs made me fly with joy.The first cassette I bought was " ABBA " .

[@Yasnoor1]

This is a lovely video telling the story of what it’s like to fall in love with ABBA. It’s the story of every ABBA fan! Again, thank you for this most beautiful video ❤️

[@sytsebuwalda6570]

What a wonderful story Bobby! My discovery of ABBA happened in 1974 when they won the Eurovision Contest. I didn't know that it would change my life and make me the person I am today. I've always been a child that sung: in church choirs and at home, along with the radio. Running to the taperecorder whenever there was I song I loved. My brother even had singles of ABBA and they always mysteriously 'disappeared'. Then I starte buying the ABBA records and sang along with them, dancing and standing in front of the mirror. They gave me happiness in dark times where some men couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Listening to the beautiful voices of Agnetha and Annifrid brought light into my life. I started to sing in my head voice and my parents took me to a wonderful singing teacher. Classical music and ABBA, what a great combination. Now, in 2023, I've been a professional countertenor for 40 years, singing my heart out and still listening to ABBA. I was in tears when I heard Don't shut me down and visited ABBA Voyage last September at my birthday. Grateful, that's the word... Grateful for their music that has brought and still brings me so much joy. And if you wonder how I sound? Just look for Sytse Buwalda. Thank you for making your wonderful videos! Warm regards from The Netherlands.

[@jaxb]

This is just so lovely, thank you for posting. ABBA have been in my life since around 1975 when I was 8 years old. I finally visited Stockholm in 2013 just a few months after the museum opened. I also went to ABBA Voyage in London last August.

[@Taikatzen]

Hello, from Argentina! I always see your videos, and I wonder if you are in contact with them... You tell their history with such love and details...

[@sylvierau3208]

C'est une très jolie histoire Bobby votre rencontre avec ABBA . Cela me ramène en 1974 , à mon adolescence , j'avais 14 ans . Comme tous les ans avec ma famille on regardait le Concours Eurovision de la Chanson . Comme vous j'ai entendu le nom ABBA et lorsque j'ai ce groupe arriver sur scène , j'étais fascinée et ravis de voir ce groupe suédois chanter en anglais Waterloo . J'étais tombée amoureuse de ce groupe et lorsqu'ils ont gagnés l' Eurovision je n'en croyais pas mes oreilles , j'étais tellement contente pour eux . Et depuis ce jour ils sont devenus mes idoles. Il ne se passe un jour , une semaine où je n'écoute pas un album de ABBA . Depuis leur tout début en solo , et même après , la carrière solo de Frida , Agnetha ,Benny et même les comédies musicales. J'aime toutes leurs chansons . ❤

[@Mi62Ni]

Hi BB. Thanks a lot for sharing your history as a great Abba-Fan. 😊 Where do you come from ? My history as Abba-Fan: 1973 I heard Ring Ring in the Radio, loved this Song, but don't know that it was from Abba. The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 I didn't saw, in fact that I was 12 and my parents thought, it was too late for me in the evening. Waterloo was a great song for me. SOS, I do I do, too. In 1976 my mother bought me Arrival (brandnew) as a Musiccassette. That was the ignition of my great and everlasting love for Abba ! These songs are the best I ever heard. Then came "The Album", I saw "Abba the Movie" at Cinema. I bought the Singles for example Eagle, Summer Night City and so on. With connections of ny godfather from Munich my sister and I had the opportunity to visit the concert of the North American and European Tour at the 27th october 1979 at the Olympia Hall in Munich. We stood before the stage and my beloved Agnetha shook my hand! Yeaaah Wooow ! I didn't wash my hand for 4 weeks 😅 This concert was one of the best moments of my life. (And the births of my 2 daughters) Abba live was so absolut fantastic. The members , the show, the music, the musicians - all. R.I P Rutger, Ola and Lasse 😢 You're part of the success of Abba too ! Since 1979 the 27th october is a warm day of lovely memories for me. And that's the cause I don't want to see the Voyage concert in London. I saw the four "in meat and blood" - as we say in german. For me the Abbatars not the same. But for people that never had the opportunity to visit a Abba-concert at this time, or younger people- like you for example - it's naturally a great experience! My beloved memorabilia are the souvenir progrqmme and the tour scarf from the North American and European Tour and the Matchbox Abba Doll "Anna/Agnetha in the original box. Agnetha never leaved her box 😂 I have a letter with envelope and a telex from the former headquarter "Baldersgatan Stockholm " September 2021: when I heard " I still have faith in you" and "Don't shut me down" and the great news of the new Album Voyage, I am crying like a baby and have tears of luck in my eyes. I ordered several CD, MC, LP, Hoodies and T-Shirts. I have much posters since 1976, journals etc. too. CDS The Studio Collection, and more. Maybe next year I will visit the museum and Stockholm. Now I am 61 years old, and proud to be an great Abba Fan. I am member of the Abba Intermezzo Fanclub. So - that's it 😅 God bless Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida and you ! Greetings from bavaria/germany Michael😂

[@jrvr9559]

Lovely story! My first introduction to ABBA happenned quite by chance. It was New Year's Eve and my father got a cheap copy of the "Waterloo" CD he had found on a bargain store. He said "These guys were very popular when I was young", then played it loud and I was hooked. I listened to it again and again for months. Agnetha and Frida's voices sounded so bright, strong and energetic! Some time after that, someone brought home a pirate copy of ABBA Gold. I became obsessed and began saving money to buy their albums. I was 10 years old. 26 years later, I still marvel myself at the sheer brilliancy of their recordings.

[@troyconnolly9053]

Your amazing mate ! Can relate to your video so much . Well done !

[@ianleigh5157]

Fantastic to hear your story BB, I guess we all have different times and feelings and memories of when we first became ABBA fans. Mine was 30 years earlier as a 14 year old in 1974 at Eurovision, watching them live on tv for the first time and what a wow moment that was.. Been a massive fan ever since that day.. Never thought nearly 50 years later I would be listening to their Voyage Album and seeing them at the ABBA arena performing as Abbatars...

[@fredyinfante2998]

Oh B and BB, incredible story, and it's incredible because for a small moment your life changes and marks you for the rest of your existence, in this case for your good and for those of us who like ABBA, because through your videos I I have learned to know much more about this fantastic group. My first memory of ABBA is from 1981 with Chiquitita in Spanish, since I am from Colombia and here, as in the rest of the world, that super hit played a lot, I always expected ABBA's music much more, but here in my country at that time music in English was not widespread. After many years I was gradually discovering and delighting in its wonderful sound and now for me it is inevitable. I can no longer live without your music and now without the videos that you so generously share with us. so THANK YOU ALL

[@danelvis9979]

It surprises me that you've been posting videos on here for less than two years, as you've provided such a vast wealth of information. It seems longer! My love of ABBA dates back to hearing them on the radio singing Waterloo and others, then seeing their Greatest Hits album where they're all sitting on the bench...this was about the time I also started to notice girls too...and I asked myself, 'How can the guy just sit there reading his paper with that beautiful blonde sitting next to him?' Then I looked at the other couple making out and said, 'Thst makes more sense!" Once I got past that and listened to the album, I just wanted to hear more! And that has been the case to this day

[@georgeprentis772]

That was a really lovely video BB, to hear your experience of getting into this unique band. Thanks for all the great videos you do! I remember being forced to watch Mamma Mia when I was about 10 by my family. I didn’t really think anything of it - but, Super Trouper was stuck in my head afterwards. As everyone went Abba crazy that summer, we listened to Abba Gold on a road trip around England on repeat and since then, I’ve had this immense emotional connection with them and their music which still grows now. I can now play pretty much every Abba song on piano, and was inspired to start writing and teaching myself music because of them. In all honesty I don’t know how my life so far would have panned out without this band.

[@FaithnSin]

Our whole family fell in love with them while watching the 1974 Eurovision from Australia. Mum and dad bought their albums as they came out. Aside from my pets and my brother, ABBA are my world. I love your videos; you’re so genuine. Thank you. ❤

[@johnadam5179]

"I asked myself: where does this music come from? Why is it so good, and who are these puppets?" I ask myself: where does this young man come from? Why are his ABBA videos so good, and who is this man, Bobby's Brother? (That was a spectacular video, and TY for sharing your photo from the "concert.") I feel the same about music. It becomes the backdrop to our lives!

[@scottydogx]

What a lovely and emotional story! I’ve often wondered what it must be like to discover ABBA now. To have all the music and history to discover must be incredible. I knew I loved ABBA watching Eurovision in 1974. At the time I only had two songs, Waterloo and the mysterious and fascinating Watch Out b-side. I didn’t hear anything more until Greatest Hits was released. The title was a revelation. Of course I had heard SOS and Mamma Mia but to discover that they had so many other hits in the rest of Europe opened a door that has never closed

[@alexandraegorova1629]

Благодарю за рассказ, очень впечатляет. У каждого фаната АВВА своя история, но объединяет всех фанатов хороший вкус к музыке, романтичность, стремление к любви, тонкое восприятие мира.

[@roli9091]

Thank your for sharing your very own ABBA voyage! :) I was in 5th grade in 1979 and although I always was drawn to music, I knew nothing about artists and bands. At one point we had a discussion in class room and somebody mentioned ABBA and everybody started to shout "boo". Everyone - except my seat mate. He introduced me to their records he had on tape and I was blown away how many of their songs I already knew and that each and every song was so incredible beautiful and uplifting. From that moment on I tried to find out every record they made and every information I could possibly get. At that time it wasn't considered "cool" to love ABBA, at least if you were a boy. I couldn't care less. Btw: The beautiful cover picture on your first CD (Definitive Collection), I had it as a poster on my wall.:)

[@peteyardman83]

Every time I was down, really devasted…three oder four times in my life when I was close to losing hope. I heard this one ABBA Song by coincidence. Once from an open window, from a car passing by,. And suddenly I felt much better suddenly I knew it won‘t be this bad and it‘ll be better… like magic. The song is ONE OF US. So maybe there is more about it. You are a really good storyteller!

[@bachatamusica]

🙂So very well done❗No words can adequately describe how truly fantastic your video is❗🌟✨💫

[@chrisp2071]

Great to hear your story BB. It's probably more interesting to learn how younger people discovered ABBA long after they had stopped working together, in contrast to those of us who grew up with them. We didn't have to find them - they were so big in the 70's that we really had no way of avoiding them!

[@jimhoppe8317]

This is perhaps the best BB post I've seen. And that's saying something!! It belongs in a class of its own!! You have brought back so many memories of my ABBA discovery years from the 70s & 80s. And the emotions you described are so close to the ones I had when having the excitement of playing each new ABBA song....in my case, on a record player with a stylus needle bringing the songs to life!! Funny coincidence, my niece just visited the ABBA Museum yesterday and she sent several pictures to me including the puppets!!! And I TOTALLY agree with your powerful and poignant thought that music must exist beyond our realm of life. When I draw my last breath, if I hear music that is as magical and majestic as ABBA, I think I'll know I made it to Heaven!!! Thanks BB for another gem of a post!!

[@zoftigbeatnik]

I was an Abba fan when I heard Waterloo and SOS on the radio in 1974. I was 10 years old and almost a half century later they are still my favorite. Now my Son is a huge fan too!

[@raywright8226]

Wow, it is wonderful to hear your story of how ABBA entered your world and all the discovery that followed. I often find synchronicity is very real, and I cannot deny that there is something divine involved. Divine timing? 🤔 We are here on this planet at the perfect moment after all 🙌🥰💗

[@pabloriquelme8207]

Just a delightful video. Beautiful story. Thank you! You bring back memories of when I was less than 5 years old and I got crazily happy listening to ABBA. I still do at the age of 47. Thank you again for sharing! your pasión!!!!!

[@awiealex5448]

What a wonderful story!

[@mobychima1087]

Congratulations Bobby brother. All the time, I've been wishing for someone like you to do these "ABBAnologies" for us.. At a point I was considering taking up that responsibility until you appeared. You are professional in your content delivery unlike some others who pick and choose who they love and don't love among these talented Swedish super pop foursome. Your platform is healthy and all inclusive. Thanks a lot. I wish you many successful years ahead with everything ABBA. Kudos! Good job dude...

[@nicolasschontz2997]

It's amazing how meeting Abba's music has literally changed your life, my life and the lives of millions of people. Abba has always been with me, through the good times and the bad. I listen to other artists of course but I always come back to their music. Thanks again for this beautiful video!

[@dreasbn]

for me, being much older, it's really the most unlikely way to get introduced to ABBA i would have thought of... The Last Video. So interesting and yet somehow understandable considering your age. But never thought about that it could happen that way. I still find it interesting that many kids find their favorite music for life that early in life. I'd say around 9 - 12 years of age is crucial. That's what i observed over the years hearing stories from others. So in my household the radio was constantly on, my big sister was playing records, my dad played his music (very different one as he was a late father and almost two generations ahead). I was the typical Hitparade and DISCO kid in Germany that grew up with those two tv-shows and ABBA was on DISCO regularly but at the beginning i was not hooked, but not hooked to anyone really. Only by the age of 11-12 i switched really from German language music to english pop music. I got records from the Beatles, Queen, Wings, Supertramp.. and only by that time in 1977 i started to really discover my love for ABBA above all others. It happened slowly and gradually, there was no defining moment. They were constantly on the radio and i knew their early hits and like them. I remember that i got the German release "The very best of ABBA" double lp in 1977 for my birthday. This was when i started to dive deeper into their musical catalogue. Shortly after i got the Arrrival album and from now on i followed everything very closely. By that time i started to read the BRAVO-magazine on a regular level because at the time those magazines were the only source of information. Imagine. No internet no music channels, nothing. Mostly radio and magazines. Like many of us, music is a crucial part of my life and i still got my 1000 vinyls from the late 70's to late 80's at home before switching to CDs... And i listen to all kinds of music, spanish-latin american pop and salsa bossanova, a lot of french music, mostly r&B, black, disoc, funk stuff, crooner jazz etc... Thank you for the music.

[@michaelgask]

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Bobby's Brother. The Definitive Collection was a great place to start! So many amazing songs. My first introduction to ABBA was also a compilation. The Best of ABBA, which was the 1975 compilation from New Zealand/Australia. I completely wore out two cassettes of this. My first of their studio albums was Arrival, which I asked Santa for in 1976. Surprisingly, he gave it to me. But even now, the sequence of songs from that first compilation is burned into my musical memory so much that when I hear one of those early songs now, I fully expect the next song on the compilation to start. Thank you, Bobby's Brother for your devotion to ABBA. I have learnt so much about them and their music from this channel. ✨ 🇳🇿 🇸🇪

[@giselawragg9140]

Thank you BB for this lovely video. It’s funny I got into ABBA through my brother back in 1992 with ABBA Gold. He was born in the 70’s so he knew their music. I was born just as ABBA released their last new album of the 20th century. I took my Dad to Stockholm in 2012 to see the ABBA museum, only to find out it wasn’t open yet. So back in 2014 we went again. I hope to come back. Once again tack BB. 😉🇬🇧🇺🇦

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

Your use of dates is, well, 27 May 2021. 10 years to the day since the saddest day of life. The day my sister passed away.

[@izabelloisancheta5034]

Hearing your story brought tears to my eyes! My story started when I was 3 years old, in a car with my father listening to ABBA on the car's radio. ABBA's Dancing Queen was playing, and I was singing along to Agnetha and Frida's beautiful blend of voices. Dancing Queen later on grew to be my favorite song back then! I took a break for a few years, but then ABBA's Voyage project and their two singles 'I Still Have Faith In You' and 'Don't Shut Me Down' rekindled my burning flame of passion for ABBA themselves. Don't Shut Me Down kept playing before my online classes and sometimes even in the break periods. Thank you to both your father and mine for introducing us to the wonderful world of ABBA and its music. Thank you, BB!

[@darrenbertram7289]

Fantastic testimony, thanks for sharing. I was four years old in 1975 and my first musical memory is of Mamma Mia! I grew up with ABBA listening to all the cassettes. Today, my love for them is so profound I actually scare myself because of it!!

[@kingmarshmusic]

Wonderful to hear your journey, BB. For me, I was a young lad, only 8 or 9 and I would hear SOS playing on the radio each night in bed (I was sharing a bedroom with my baby brother and my parents would have the radio playing). This song stuck in my head, so much so I decided to use my pocket money to buy the record. I walked to the shops and asked the salesman for a song called SOS. I didn’t even know who sang it and I had not seen them on TV. So, for me, Abba was first and foremost about the music, not the image…still to this day!

[@robertthompson6985]

I was a teenager in the UK in 1970s. I liked Waterloo, but it was SOS that made me love Abba. From then on I was hooked. Loving Abba as a teenage boy in the 1970s was rather uncool. In 1979 my girlfriend and I borrowed my parent's dormobile VW camper van to go on a tour of Scandinavia. On the way through London on the way to Harwich for the ferry, we stopped at record shop and bought tickets for the Wembley Arena Abba concerts later in the year. There was no queue and we bought the tickets without any problem. Can you imagine that nowadays? Our holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Norway is still one of the best I've ever had. Various tracks from Voulez Vous were playing at lots of the camp sites we stopped at. I distinctly remember Voulez Vous itself playing at a campsite in Otta, Norway. I also remember that you had to put money in to get hot water from the shower. If you didn't finish before the money ran out, you got very cold. The cold water came straight from the glacier. Later that year we were at Wembley arena to se Abba themselves. How incredibly lucky were we! Last year we went to Abba Voyage. Abbatar Benny walked onto stage and said that the last time they played London was in 1979. I got rather emotional at that point. We were there, 43 years ago. Where did all the years go? The good thing is that I was sat next to my wife of 40 years. Yes, you've guessed it, she was the one who came on holiday with me and went to see Abba all those years ago. Abba Voyage was brilliant. I'll go again sometime.

[@MrsCelorico]

Childhood is something we never get back. It is also something we never forget. At almost 50 years old, I went to Sweden in search of an important part of my childhood and youth. I got to know ABBA through Fernando, one of my older brother's singles. Later, in 1979, I discovered the Voulez-Vous album. Others followed; Super Trouper and The Visitors. Meanwhile, I discovered the older songs. Later, i attend the musical Mamma Mia in Lisbon and saw the movies at the cinema. In 2017, I went to Stockholm to see ABBA - The Museum and also to Mamma Mia - The Party. In 2021, I watched the launch of the Voyage album live and, in May of this year, I went to London to watch the show at the ABBA Arena. What a great adventure!!!

[@gagedevall7645]

my grandmother used to pick me up to spend the night at her house about half an hour away from where i live. one time as we were driving, she popped in a cd and went to track number four. the marimba of mamma mia began, and my world forever changed. i repeated it all night long. that cd was gold. from then on, every time she picked me up, i would put in the cd and tune it to mamma mia and played it over and over and over again. eventually i discovered take a chance on me, then waterloo. then i kind of forgot about abba 😢. a few years later, i listened to gold in full and then again, and then again. i knew i had to hear more. then i watched every free documentary and video of and about abba i could find. i purchased my first abba cd - The Definitive Collection. soon i saved up for “the albums” and “live at wembley arena”. my obsession with abba couldnt have lined up more perfectly because after about a year and a half, we started getting the hints at voyage. another great video bobby!

[@chantelbriody1418]

I love your video. My dad bought me Fernando. It was my first vinyl single. I loved the song from the start. That's the beginning of my love for abba. In 1978. I persuaded my mum take take me to watch abba the movie. I loved it. So it's a big thanks to my much missed parents who started me off with my love for abba. Mum and dad are no longer alive. You are such a very kind man to post all the things about abba. Some of which I didn't know of, so it's a big thankyou to you aswell

[@DamienSlattery68]

Love this! ❤

[@cehamecki7106]

Mein erster Kontakt war 1968 im Radio. Eine wunderschöne Stimme auf deutsch zu hören. Agnetha. WOW. 1974 kam Abba, ich total begeistert. Alle LP gekauft. Der steile Aufstieg ist bis heute ein wichtiger Bestandteil meines Lebens. Bin ich traurig höre ich Abba. Dann begann eine Pause. Jedoch haben alle 4 Bandmitglieder Solo Projekte begonnen. Dann wurden 2 neue Lieder angekündigt. Dont shut me down das erste Lied nach so langer Pause. Tränen liefen. Ein Traum wurde wahr. Voyage wird veröffentlicht. Als Fan der ersten Stunde glaubte ich zu träumen. LP 's, CD's, Filme, Musical, Liveauftritte, Museum ,Arena. Ich bin ein glücklicher Fan und genieße immer wieder ihre wunderschöne Musik. Danke Agnetha ❤ ❤ Björn ❤ Benny ❤ Annifrid ❤. Ihr seid die Besten.

[@Mi62Ni]

❤ Stimmt ! Sie sind die Besten und die Grössten ❤

[@toby9999]

My first memory of ABBA was sometime around 1975. Traveling home after visting a friend. He had told me about this great new song and pop group called ABBA. I had not heard the name before then, but wonderful timing, that very song started playing on the radio in the car. My memory is hazy but I believe the song was SOS. That was the first time I had associated the name "ABBA" with their music. From that moment on, ABBA was something special.

[@mitral5099]

This is such a nice video BB. This shows your love, deep care that you've always put into this work of art of yours. It's so magical that somehow our favourite pop group came to our lives even after 40 years of separation. They really fooled us and finally blessed us with their amazing new music.

[@stevedow5842]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story of how ABBA came into your life, BB. For me, it was 1974 when I was 15 and still homesick for my childhood home in Waterloo, Belgium, having moved to the US in 1968. So no wonder with ABBA's 'Waterloo' I was enthraled. Of course, I was not paying attention to the lyrics too much and thought they were singing about the actual village rather than 'Waterloo' as a metaphor for defeat. At any rate, I still say to myself at times of homesickness: 'Waterloo! Promise to love you forever more!'

[@RaimundoNonato-eq6bj]

It's the same way I feel. Belatedly I was also carried away by this passion. I am eternally in love with ABBA... In the same intensity that I am with the Beatles. In the 70's I was a poor young man, and the only thing I heard from ABBA was on the radio and at parties whose sound invaded the nights...but I didn't go to parties, I didn't have money or clothes to go to. But the distant sound impregnated my ears and today my brain makes this correlation of time with the facts of the time. ABBA forever.

[@anarsc13]

Que video ta hermoso Bobby, puro sentimiento. I love it. Thanks for Being a huge fan of ABBA. Ello me hacen sentir esperanza siempre 💕 😊

[@afissospilion]

Lovely story!!! My real connection started in 1976. Before I had heard already songs from them that I liked soo much, from just hearing them on the radio, without knowing it was ABBA. I was 10 years old, I was in a house with a much better music installation than my parents had. And the album Arrival was played. It sounded like heaven in my ears!! Since then I collected everything old, and all the new that came out, untill now. The biggest excitement was to see them in 1979 playing live in Rotterdam. I was 13 years old. So: I saw them!!! I also followed everything that Benny (often together with Björn) did all those missing 40 years. In another 1000 years they will still talk about Benny's composing skills and ABBA, for sure!!

[@cedarcam]

Your story is amazing, ABBA last video is nothing like I expected to hear being what got you hooked. I like how the name did not mean anything to you until the day you saw the video and then vaguely remembered it was in your book. My discovery was similar in that I too did not remember their name but found their music by accident thanks to someone putting the records and tape I bought in Folk Music instead of Pop.

[@paulcolwell...]

ABBA I WONDER HOW AND WHY THAT YOU ARE SO MAGNIFICENT..❤❤❤

[@josephdevlin7528]

My introduction to Abba came when I was allowed to stay up for the Eurovision in the early 1970s at the age of 6 to watch them win with Waterloo. My older sister Moya who was 16 bought all the singles and subsequent albums and let me play them. I got my first Abba single age 10 (Money, Money, Money) then the all the albums from that time onwards. Moya has since passed over but I have her early Abba albums to remember her by. Fantastic memories. Thanks for posting.

[@DeidreL9]

I was 11. Mamma Mia debuted on Australian TV, and from the first second, I was in love. The same with my mother, we were enchanted. There was such mystique about them, it took forever to even find out their names. We bought the self titled Abba album and that sealed the deal. Mum once said to me, Abba was a miracle. It’s true! I’m now 59 and they are still a massive influence on my life. I love them, and Agnetha and Frida are royalty❤️

[@javieraguera2035]

It is a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@michaelsnaidero1671]

Thankyou BB for sharing your experience with us,the connection and affection grows stronger between us with you sharing your story.When we first experience ABBA in our lives I call it the VISITATION and they are our visitors, friendly visitors, many refuse the visit but most do not and if you allow them to enter your heart they will dwell and live in your soul.They then bring peace,love and warmth into your entire being ,so much of it in actual fact that it radiates out of your very being for you to share with everyone you meet in the world.And this is exactly what you yourself are achieving ,like us together with ALL the fans of ABBA we fly like EAGLES with Agnetha,Bjorn,Benny and Annifrid, "wing to wing and love hearing the stories that they tell".Your VISITATION is unique I doubt anyone else were introduced to ABBA through puppets ,so that's very special,and to be greeted at the ABBA museum by them quite mystical. My VISITATION was a hot summer evening in December 1974 6.50 pm watching our Australian weekly music program on the ABC when the host decided to fill some time with a music video from Sweden by a totally unknown group named ABBA ,he played MAMMA MIA ,a yet to be released song for an album to be released in 1975 ,I was possessed, and my life would never be nor still is the same again.With their return and your channel "I get to live twice".Thankyou BB for bringing peace,love and warmth into our lives so it unites with our ABBA soul and enhances our experience with them.

[@ilmetric1]

Thank you Bobby, for your ABBA story. I had wondered how you had been introduced to the band and had become such a big fan. (I may be the oldest to comment here, as I was born in 1957.) My ABBA story began in 1974 in high school. I worked in the school library and part of my work was to prepare the incoming magazines, one of which was Billboard. In one issue was an article about this new band, ABBA, and how they had won Eurovision. I photocopied the article (I still have that), and bought the Waterloo album (vinyl only in those years). I thoroughly enjoyed every track on it. I made them my favorite band! The next year, I bought the 1975 album titled "ABBA". It had "Mamma Mia" as a track. I listened to both, over and over again. I continued to buy every album released and enjoyed them all, and they remained my favorite band. In 1982, they began to fade away. No new music. I didn't understand really, but I moved on in music, embracing new wave. I picked up The Definitive Collection and ABBA Gold in the 1990s and enjoyed those compilations, and never expected any more new music from them, but I quietly did hope for something, sometime. I did see Mamma Mia! on stage in 1992 and was so very happy! In the 2010s from time to time I would see phony articles and posts about ABBA reforming, but those were fake, and not true. I kind of got use to those. Then in 2018, my local community theater was to produce Mamma Mia!, and I had to audition! Believe it or not, I was preparing my audition piece in 2018, when Benny released his now famous post about new music. I saw it, thought it was another fake "article", and filed it for later reading, and continued to practice my audition piece. When I later investigated the post, and learned that it was genuine, I became fully energized. I was then 1000% committed to winning a role in our presentation and to perform and sing the songs that I so loved. Knowing that *NEW* ABBA music was coming was so powerful for me. With that power and attitude, I got the role, and joined in singing to thousands of people the music that I knew best and so loved. I will never forget those months of theatrical commitment. When ABBA premiered their new music from the Voyage album, I was streaming it live. I did not get through "I Still Have Faith In You", without unexpectedly crying, It was like all the years of absence and waiting were now ending. The same happened with "Don't Shut Me Down". For that one, it was the harmonies that my ears had missed, now filling the space in my mind that I had unknowingly left open for ABBA. They were tears of joy! I know many others had the same reaction. I so hope the ABBA Voyage show can be brought to other parts of the world. I live in North America, and would be able to see it here. I have watched others attend the London show and think how fortunate they are. I'm not sad about it, but my ABBA hope now is to be able to see it here sometime. Thank you, Bobby's Brother, for all the posting and research you have done. Hej Hej.

[@adelaaae4906]

It is fantastic the way you have been aware of this Great Music Treasure ✨ 🙌 My older siblings took good care of placing each newly released ABBA vinyl on the shelf at home so I grew up enjoying them ”naturally” and sharing the excitement about the songs with classmates. And after all this I could never forget that 2nd September 2021 😍😭 😅 Thanks for everything you share Bobby’s Brother!!! 👏👏👏

[@123billydog]

As an older fan it always interest me how younger fans became part of this almost cult like love for ABBA. Over the years Ive spoken to those hook by ABBA GOLD, Mamma Mia the Musical and Movies, through their almost 50 year world debut at Eurovision, yet never through the puppets of 'Our Last Video Ever!'. For me it was hearing 'Fernando' for the first time, the day it went to Number 1 in the UK on a car radio. Those twinkiling sounds, Fridas initial lead intro, the the accompanying voice of Agnetha, to the resounding multilayered vocals of the chorus. What was this!. That date was 8th May 1976, so exactly 47 Years ago Today, which I hadn't realised until now. I have a vague feeling I probably saw Eurovision in April 74 but memories arent so clear from those earlier years. I definately remember hearing much of ABBA's pre-1976 output on the radio stations. Its strange what age tells you and how music links you to those past 'life events'. Your father and your uncle being admirers I feel has importance. ABBA's music can now always take me back to memories of my late parents so, it becomes more precious with time.

[@alexanderwanke4753]

Hey BB! I was just fascinating watching your content! So your 20 years younger than me- so my story‘s a bit more dated than yours but quiet similar! I remember hearing ABBA from the day I was born in 1973 - thanks to my elder siblings- but in 1979 when I first heard Chiquita I fell in love with abba and asked my parents for a record- my first vinyl ever was greatest hits vol. 2 - and I‘ve played this record over and over- singing to it - without knowing any meaning of the lyrics- some neighbors heard my voice and asked my mom who was singing- it was not only the record it was me too- so they asked me to join in for the competition of the Viennese boys choir! And believe it or not- I sang Chiquita and they took me in! So thanks to Abba- I became a singer in the world famous choir! Anyway- my first original album was „Voulez Vous“ which is my favorite among „the Visitors“. I went through good and bad times in my life with Abba and I never gave up hoping that there would be a future after 1982 - my and all of their beloved fans dream came true! Next month I will go to London to see Voyage live - and I‘m still thrilled ! My life my love is ABBA- such as yours and millions others! Thank you for the music and thank you BB for your resource and videos ! I would love to meet you personally and talk about our favorite group! Please keep us posted! Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹

[@k1200ltse]

For a variety of reasons, I missed this when you published it, but having now seen it, I have a story I'd like to share on how I became an ABBA fan. It was THAT Saturday, April 6, 1974. I was 11 (& a half!) & it was a boring evening. Eurovision was on, but I wasn't paying much attention to it. I think I was reading, but it was 49 years ago. Then something changed. A man dressed in Napoleonic dress came out to conduct the orchestra for the Swedish entry, "Waterloo," by... well, you know who. Now, oddly, I had heard of them before having heard "Ring, Ring" a couple of months previously quite by chance. So I watched. And fell in love with what was to me one of the best songs I'd ever heard. It started a lifelong love of the music of the best group in the world - at least as far as I'm concerned. Suffice to say I collected everything I could to do with ABBA. Sadly, my collection was lost - deliberately - by my ex-wife 20 odd years ago. But since that evening 49 years ago I have listened & watched ABBA pretty much every day. I was even lucky enough tomsee them live at the Wembley Arena in 1979, thanks to seeing an ad in ABBA magazine offering one as a swap - it was originally for Bingley Hall, Stafford but the guy who swapped it for a couple of Agnetha solo LP's later asked if I'd take a Wembley ticket instead. As I had relatives living in London it was a no brained. I saw them twice, the second night I got a ticket from a tout for not much more than face value & he actually had the seat next to me & let me use his binoculars. I started riding motorbikes in '79 & had ABBA on the back of several helmets & top boxes. Yep, I was that devoted & still am. I plan to put ABBA on the topbox of my current bike when I can find somewhere to get the letters printed as I want them. When "Voyage" came out & I first heard "Don't Shut Me down", I had tears streaming down my face. I've never lost the sense of wonder that comes from listening to the music of ABBA with its' nuances & melodies, the orchestration & the utter brilliance of Bjorn & Benny who far outclass any other writers for me. Lennon & McCartney don't hold a candle to them. It may sound cheesy, but I can't imagine my life without ABBA in it. They are forever part of my world. A part of "Me & I".

[@roselorente7634]

I was 11 too when I first heard ABBA with Waterloo. Thank you so much for sharing so sincerely how you fell in love with them, their music ! It makes me feel so proud that I was not mistaken thinking they were exceptional. I felt really in love with them in 1975, SOS was such a huge song, I didn't really understand the lyrics but the voice, the intention, the melody... everything was there. And after that, I realized that every single song was capturing me like no other could ever do. I am an ABBA fan since then, no other artist is their equal. Of course, I like music and can appreciate many artists and voices but there's no comparison. ABBA is unique to me. I was not expecting such a surprise after so many years, that they would really offer the world a new album and this Abba Voyage show... I was there last year and I am coming back for the first anniversary. As I was too young and living in a small town in the south of France, I never had the chance to see them in concert before. So imagine ! I feel like a teenager when I am turning 60 this summer ! Isn't it a miracle ? Thank you ABBA for being who they are. So proud that there are people like you to show their passion 🤩🤩😘

[@PerryCJamesUK]

Ahh Rik Mayal... I have a letter from him somewhere from when I was at school. We had to write to a celeb and the Young Ones was reshowing at the time so I wrote to him. Very polite and funny. RIP.

[@jamesjagielski7930]

Love and look forward to all your videos Bobby's Brother. My introduction to ABBA was back in 1975 with the release of Mamma Mia, then Fernando on the radio here in the USA. I went and purchased their albums and fell in love. I was so lucky as a 17-year-old to see them in concert at the Milwaukee Wisconsin Arena as part of their 1979 North American Tour. I have my souvenir t-shirt framed on my office wall with the concert ticket that cost only $8.50. I was heartbroken when the group disbanded and often thought of all the great songs we could have enjoyed over the years had they kept making new music. Still having the women's solo albums, BAO, Chess and Kristina gave us so much to enjoy. I also loved attending local productions of Chess. During these decades of never expecting to ever hear new ABBA music again I would dream (it seemed about once a year) of going to a record store like I did back in the 70's to discover a brand-new ABBA album only to then wake up disappointed that it was only a dream. Thankfully Voyage changed that. Now living in Arizona, I hope someday the new ABBA Voyage show comes to Las Vegas!

[@LudiusQuassas]

I can't remember the time I first heard a song from them. Several possible scenarios, but I don't know. What I know, however, is that I grew up with music of the '60s, '70s and '80s. And I already had a notion that this music was so different from the current popular stuff. It's fair to say, I was getting a bit hopeless about *somebody* bringing back that certain magic in popular music. Could be anyone, I didn't really care, but I yearned for something with that certain spark. ABBA? Oh yeah, that was the group with good songs I delved into time to time. I enjoyed their hits as much as any other 'retro' act, and recognized their talent, but never felt such an interest to go out of my way to learn more about them. Then... 2021 happened, Don't Shut Me Down and the Voyage album in general are so special to me because this wasn't just some unreleased outtake from some singer already departed from this world, this wasn't a tribute act, this was actual people with all the experience and notions of music of a time now behind us, bringing us *entirely new* material just as if we were living in the 1980s! Yes, I know synth is popular right now, but as much as I enjoy this resurgence in '80s-like synth and beats, it often sounds more like parody than actual music. So... ABBA were "the ones" I always hoped for, and I will stay eternally grateful for this very special gift they gave all of us.

[@TheFachnir]

Interesting that you for whom Abba is somewhat music of the past became such a huge fan. However, I fully understand. The sentence “The music that blessed my life” is also so true for me. Keep on enjoying …

[@DavidNiklas-q4v]

So great to hear. I discovered Abba a year later as you in 2005, at only five years old. My parents presented me the Abba gold album on my birthday. That changed everything for me. Abba is the first musical experience I clearly remember listening to and they are still my top favorite groub in the world. In 2006 my proudest acheivement was an autogram of Agnetha :) and in 2021, well I think you understand how special the new music was and is and on top of that the voyage show which I will get to see next week... :)

[@bobbysbrother137]

Wow, what a beautiful Birthday present to a five year old!! So nice. Enjoy your Voyage experience, and let us know about it.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Good luck with your Voyage experience David.Will you share your view with us and let us know?

[@garrywallace1007]

This is interesting from a retrospective fan. Those of use who lived through their music career, and lived and breathed them 24/07 during the 70s experienced ABBA fandom on a totally different level- not just as an historical interest and appreciation. It is one thing to watch a video of ABBA arriving in Australia for example- it was another to be there!

[@johnadam5179]

This might be my (almost) favorite video you've dropped on your channel. There are many little glimpses into the man behind the channel, but I think this one is closest to my heart. And I wonder, why did I not get a "heart" from my first original comment? I hope you are always filled with wonder, destiny and marvel. :)

[@bobbysbrother137]

This is one of my favorite videos, too. It’s my most personal video, too. And you’re right, if you watch it all carefully, I do sprinkle glimpses throughout the channel, bits and pieces, so the ardent viewer can collect it all. Thanks for watching and re-watching. All best wishes back to you!

[@johnadam5179]

@@bobbysbrother137 The fox is watching!!! 😉

[@thomaskrafft9890]

Always a joy to hear the care you take and the love you have for ABBA, Bobby B! What is the short music you play at 11:10? Thank you!

[@clay9185]

Thank you BB for a very entertaining video. Great to hear about how your love of Abba started. We all have our own story, mine living in Australia were in the days of Countdown, a pop show where Abbas videos were highlighted, Mamma Mia, SOS got me in & from then on I’ve been in love with this group. At 17 I was there at both Sydney Concerts in the pouring rain. My love affair is still there, heading to London next week to finally see the Abbatar show. Thank you BB for sharing your love of Abba with us..

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Good luck in your VOYAGE experience.I'm sure ypu're gonna have again the time of your life!Do let us know about it after.

[@clay9185]

@@christianoazzuro6711 Thankyou so much.. seeing it twice while there, once in the seats, once in the standing section, just to get the different feels.. Will definately let u know. Thanks again..

[@arwenanduin]

I was a 3rd gen Swedish-American in Michigan so of course I was already aware of ABBA, but most people associated them with Dancing Queen and disco. So there I was, sitting in a snowbank, a young teenager with my new radio, when the new song Chiquitita came on, what a sound! I was entranced, the magical transcendence of the music and the snow falling softly. I had never heard anything like it, the wall of sound, the harmonies, the joyousness. From that moment I began to collect all of ABBA's music. I went to Europe in 1984 with my college choir and collected even more, new solo albums and such. To this day no one I know has as complete an ABBA collection. I have visited my cousins in Sweden a couple times and have BAO CDs and Christmas music by Björn pre-ABBA. As you well know, the adventure of being an ABBA fan always continues. I must visit London, or wait till ABBA Voyage comes to America!

[@tuijakarttunen9164]

Thank you for sharing your story! My Voyage with Abba started in the -70`s, when I happened to hear their songs on the radio. I must have been six years old or so. I loved their sound already, but of course, had no idea who they were or anything. Until at ten, when I got my first Abba- casette and understood. They have been a big and very important part of my life ever since. Every day. Always.

[@ingridrumpler9131]

Ach wie süß! Ich war etwas jünger, kaufte mir immer DAS FREIZEIT MAGAZIN- dann wurde ich neugierig..und war fasziniert von den tollen Stimmen und dem Sound! Waren ein paar Wochen seit ESC vergangen, je öfter ich SIE hörte um so intensiver wurde mein Fan - sein❤❤ Ich sammelte jeden Schnipsel! 🤭🥰🥰🥰 Abba forever ❤❤❤❤

[@abbascots]

Thankyou so much for sharing your experience and story ❤🙌 Heartwarming and inspiring and beautiful 🤩 Similarity in most ways that brings us all together the music joy and hope 🙏🥰 ABBA came into my life in the early 80s I was 8 or 9 and now 40 yrs later they are still offering joy happiness and when you need it HOPE ❤

[@thestepfordlife2015]

" conscious curiosity " is the perfect term for that moment when a kids mind grows just enough to stop being spoon fed music and starts actively seeking out understanding and learning about what kind of music speaks to us as individuals. Great video! Great story!

[@lidianota3150]

Grazie Bobby di questo racconto, Ancora non capisco perché si sono divisi non si amavano più ma la musica non ha confini.eràno grandi

[@dlk1dlk1]

I saw a BBC documentary about them in 1993 and that was the beginning for me. 'A For Abba' I think it was called. I got out my old tape of 'Abba The Movie' and watched it almost every day afterwards.