Herreys
Herreys, or Herrey’s, was a Swedish pop group comprised of three Swedish-born and Los Angeles-raised brothers who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The oldest brother, Per, was born on 9 August 1958. He was followed by Richard, born 19 August 1964, and Louis, born 3 November 1966.
Signing with the local Mariann label, Herreys scored their first Swedish hit early in 1984, when “Kall Som Is” climbed to number 18. They won the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley.” In the Swedish lyrics of the song, written by Britt Lindeborg, a man relates the story of how he finds a pair of golden shoes that will make him surpass any obstacle.
At the time that the brothers won Eurovision, they were living and working as singers in the United States. Thus, all three are able to speak both Swedish and English fluently. Success at Eurovision saw their winning entry, “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley,” climb to number two, and an album of the same name topped the Swedish chart that summer. The large teenybopper following that they were able to amass made them as popular as the Norwegian pop sensations a-ha, and the group’s third single, “Varje Liten Droppe Regn,” reached number 11 at the end of the year. With such glowing success, they were widely predicted to be on the music scene for some time to come.
In 1985, they won the Sopot International Song Festival with the song “Sommarparty“. They continued to record music and tour for a few years, but they never had any hits equal to the Eurovision winner. “Sommarparty” reached the Top 20 in May 1985, but their second album, Crazy People, barely made the Top 10, and Not Funny which was released the following year, struggled to reach the top 30.
The Herreys were the first European boyband preceding the international boom a few years later, and they were the first western band to be invited to tour behind the iron curtain in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, they shared the stage and performed with Russian star, Alla Pugacheva. They were the best-selling pop group in Sweden in the 80’s decade, enjoying immense success touring and performing in more than 300 live shows.
In 1987, Louis decided that he needed to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With his brothers’ permission, he left for two years, leading to the breakup of the group.
The brothers reunited in 2002 to perform “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley” during the intermission of one of the Swedish Melodifestivalen semifinals. Richard made an appearance at Congratulations, a 50th-anniversary concert, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2005. In February 2006, he released his first solo album called “Jag e Kung.” The brothers reunited once again in 2015 and performed at Eurovision Song Contest’s Greatest Hits, the 30th-anniversary show.
Follow Herreys
Recent Posts
David Archuleta Announces New Christmas Album, Tour, and Special Edition Four-Song Spanish Holiday EP
Winter is in the air – well, not quite. However, American Idol alum, David Archuleta is already gearing up for the season. On 4 September 2018, the world-renown singer-songwriter and entertainer revealed to Billboard.com in an exclusive article that he will be...
Madilyn Paige’s New Album, “Anymore,” Teaches Powerful Lesson That Self-Esteem Not Perfection is the Goal
Madilyn Paige, the 21-year-old former contestant on the sixth season of NBC’s The Voice, recently released her album, Anymore, which was produced by Shadow Mountain Records. Speaking to Deseret News about the album that was almost three years in the making, she said,...
Through Music and Story, the Lyceum Philharmonic at American Heritage School Shares a Message of God’s Amazing Grace
In time for National Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August 2018, a group of Latter-day Saint teen musicians partnered with The Other Side Academy to share a message of the hope and love that is available to everyone because of God’s Amazing Grace. It is their sincere...
Herriman Utah Community Joins Alex Boyé in Creating Music Video about Suicide Prevention
The topics of suicide and suicide prevention need to be discussed openly in homes, in schools, and in churches. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds. The organization also reports that one...
Flash Mob Surprises Crowd at BYU Food Court with New Version of “I am a child of God”
On 12 October 2018, a new documentary drama directed by Chantelle Squires, portraying the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and societal racially discriminatory practices, will debut in limited theaters. It is the story of two powerful...
Millennial Rapper Lil Yachty and 60s Heartthrob Donny Osmond Create Unforgettable Chef Boyardee Jingle Remix
Meet 20-year-old (born 23 August 1997) Miles Parks McCollum. He is an American rapper and singer who is professionally known as Lil Yachty. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his singles “One Night” and “Minnesota” from his debut EP, Summer Songs. In March...