Anne Linnet
Encyclopedia
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, is a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
singer, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. She has released a number of solo albums and has also been a member of several bands, such as Shit & Chanel, Anne Linnet Band
Anne Linnet Band
The Anne Linnet Band is a Danish pop band featuring three female singers: Anne Linnet, Sanne Salomonsen and Lis Sørensen. Anne Linnet Band launched their first tour on March 27, 1980 in Skråen . Their greatest hits were "You're crazy", "Nothing left to move me" "Fly away" and "Det er ikke det du...
, and Marquis de Sade. Anne Linnet is one of a small group of Danish musicians and songwriters consistently popular now for many years. She is, and has been for more than three and a half decades, a distinctive figure on the Danish music scene and is valued as a writer and composer. Anne Linnet is known for her well-written, honest lyrics, her explorations into a number of music styles, and a constant desire to try something new. In 2008 she received IFPI Denmark’s prize of honour for her work of many years on the Danish music scene.
Career
Anne Linnet had her musical debut at the age of 17, in 1970, with the Århus based band "Tears", with whom she released two albums. In 1973 she was one of the founding members of the all-woman band, Shit & Chanel, which released four albums in their seven years together. One of their largest hits was the song, "Smuk og Dejlig", written by Anne Linnet. One of the reasons for the band’s split was that the House of ChanelChanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
had won a lawsuit against them, regarding the use of the name "Chanel". After that, the band members felt a need to move on and do something new.
Following the split, Anne Linnet formed the band, Anne Linnet Band, which released two albums in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Two other singers and musicians in the band were Sanne Salomonsen
Sanne Salomonsen
Sanne Salomonsen is a notable Danish singer. She has been performing since 1975, and various songs by her band Sneakers were on the charts continuously from 1979 to 1985...
and Lis Sørensen
Lis Sørensen
Lis Sørensen, born 28 May 1955, is a Danish singer. In the 1970s she worked with Anne Linnet in Shit & Chanel and Anne Linnet Band. In 1983 she released her first solo album.-Albums:*Himlen ned på jorden *Lis Sørensen...
, both popular singers/musicians who have since had long and successful careers.
In 1983, she formed a new band, Marquis de Sade. The sound was harder and more electronic, inspired by other European, mid-eighties bands, such as Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, and was a change from the softer pop/folk sound that had characterised her music until then. The band released two albums. At the time they created some controversy, and became known for some of their songs having sadomasochistic ("Marquis de Sade") and lesbian ("Hils din mor", "Venus") themes. They had large hits with songs such as "Glor på Vinduer" and "Nattog".
In 1986, Anne Linnet wrote music for the film, Barndommens Gade based on the novel of the same name by the Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen
Tove Ditlevsen
Tove Ditlevsen was a female Danish poet and author.She was born in Copenhagen and grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Vesterbro. Her childhood experiences were the focal points of her work. Ditlevsen was married four times.She published 29 books including short stories, poetry and...
. She set a number of Tove Ditlevsen’s poems to music, which was released on the album Barndommens Gade. The poem/song, ”Barndommens Gade", became a hit.
In 1988, she released the album Jeg Er Jo Lige Her. The first single was the evergreen "Tusind Stykker", which became a large hit, first in Anne Linnet’s version, and later also in a Swedish version, performed by the Swedish singer and musician, Björn Afzelius
Björn Afzelius
Björn Svante Afzelius was a Swedish singer, song writer and guitar player. Politically he was a socialist. His songs are about love, politics and joys in life....
.
In 1989, she released the album Min Sang in collaboration with the Danish author and lecturer, Johannes Møllehave
Johannes Møllehave
Johannes Volf Møllehave is a Danish priest, author and lecturer. He graduated in theology in 1963.Johannes Møllehave is one of the most popular modern Danish figures, attracting large audiences to his lectures and TV appearances...
. The album contains her poems inspired by her Christian faith. Linnet and Møllehave have later collaborated on a series of church concerts and lectures.
In 1996, she wrote a chamber opera, Thorvaldsen, about the Danish, 19th century sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
.
Anne Linnet has also authored several books. In 1983, she published a collection of poems; Glimt, in 1999, the first part of her autobiography; Hvor kommer drømmene fra?, and in 2000, four short children’s books about Ivan the dog.
In 2006, she had a showing of her oil paintings in Rundetårn, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
In 2007, she released the critically acclaimed solo album Akvarium which became a success.
Personal life
Anne Linnet earned her degree from Århus Statsgymnasium and went on to obtain a degree from Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (The Royal Academy of Music, Århus, Denmark).Until 1985, she was married to the jazz musician, Holger Laumann, with whom she has two children; Eva (Evamaria) and Jan Martin (Sean), now named Marcus.
She is also the mother of Alexander Theo Linnet, whom she had with Mads Buhl Nielsen. Alexander followed a musical life like his mother and is known as Xander
Xander (Danish singer)
Alexander Theo Linnet , performing under his mononym Xander, is a Danish pop singer and songwriter. Xander is the son of singer Anne Linnet and Mads Buhl Nielsen...
and his single "Det burde ikk være sådan her
Det burde ikk være sådan her
"Det burde ikk være sådan her" is a Danish language debut single written and performed by Xander from his album Over skyer, under vand...
" topped the Danish Singles Charts in 2011.
Linnet also has two adopted children, Peter and Maria.
She is a bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and has had both male and female lovers, and has, over time, become a lesbian icon in Denmark.
In 2010, Anne Linnet married Tessa Franck Linnet. In August 2011, Tessa Franck Linnet gave birth to the couple's first child together, a girl named Isolde Elisabeth Franck Linnet.
Discography (incomplete)
- Lyset Anne og Tears (1972?) (single)
- Sweet Thing (1973) LP
- Anne Linnet (1974) LP
- Kvindesind (Exlibris, 1977)
- You're Crazy (Better Day Records, 1979)
- Anne Linnet Band (CBS, 1981) Anne Linnet Band
- Cha Cha Cha (CBS, 1982) Anne Linnet Band
- Marquis De Sade (CBS, 1983)
- Berlin '84 (CBS, 1984), Linnet / Salomonsen
- Hvid Magi (CBS, 1985), Marquis de Sade
- En Elsker (CBS, 1986), Marquis de Sade
- Barndommens Gade (CBS, 1986)
- Jeg Er Jo Lige Her (Pladecompagniet, 1988)
- Go' Søndag Morgen (Pladecompagniet, 1989), children's album
- Min Sang (Pladecompagniet, 1989)
- Krig & Kærlighed (Pladecompagniet/Virgin, 1990), Linnet / Salomonsen
- Det' Så Dansk (Pladecompagniet, 1992)
- Tal til mig (Pladecompagniet, 1993)
- Pige Træd Varsomt (Pladecompagniet, 1995)
- Thorvaldsen (Pladecompagniet, 1996) Opera
- Bitch Boys (Mega Records, 1997) Bitch Boys
- Nattog Til Venus (Sony Music, 1999) double CD compilation
- Jeg og Du (Grappa, 2000)
- Over Mig Under Mig (Universal Music, 2002), Marquis de Sade
- Relax (Universal Music, 2003)
- Her hos mig (Universal Music A/S, 2005)
- Akvarium (Sony BMG, 2007)