Marie Fredriksson Dead At 61

As part of the Swedish duo, who gained fame in the 1980s and ’90s, Ms. Fredriksson was known for her breathy voice and dynamic onstage presence.

Marie Fredriksson, the lead singer of Roxette, the Swedish pop duo that made waves in the 1980s and 1990s, died on Monday. She was 61.

Her management team, Dimberg Jernberg, did not specify the cause of her death, but said in a statement on Tuesday that Ms. Fredriksson had struggled with cancer after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002.

Ms. Fredriksson and the singer-songwriter Per Gessle formed Roxette in 1986, and fame in Sweden came swiftly after the release of their debut single, “Neverending Love.” But it was “The Look,” a strutting 1989 single, heavy on electric guitars and synthesizer, that took Roxette onto the international stage.

“The Look” became the duo’s first No. 1 single on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and songs like “Listen To Your Heart” and “Joyride” quickly followed. The duo became particularly known for soft rock ballads like “It Must Have Been Love,” a song that featured on the soundtrack for “Pretty Woman,” the 1990 romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.