The most important and forward-looking musician of her generation is Bjork. The music star, who is often considered a tirelessly experimental creative force, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, producer, and actress. She is best known for her works, which span a wide range of musical styles.
Musically, she explores the relationship between nature and technology and integrates electronic and organic sounds. She is widely known for songs like I’ve Seen It All, Human Behaviour, and Big Time Sensuality. Here you will find everything you need to know about her.
Bjork Biography, Wiki
The Human Behaviour singer was born on 21 November 1965 in Reykjavik, Iceland, and was given the birth name Björk Guðmundsdóttir. Her first name is a common name for women in Iceland and means birch, while her other name is patronymic. She has a mixture of Irish and Nordic descent.
ALSO READ: Norah Jones Husband, Father, Mother, Family and Quick Facts
She was born of her mother Hildur Runa Hauksdottir, who was an activist, and her father Guomundur Gunnarsson was a union leader and electrician. Her mother protested against the expansion of hydroelectric power in Iceland. She did not want to be a housewife and left the marriage with her daughter to become part of a hippie group.
Hilduh remarried a guitarist, Sævar Árnason, in a band called Pops, who was considered the Jimi Hendrix of Iceland at the time. This second marriage provided a musical platform for the aspiring singer.
Early Career
Bjork studied classical music with piano in primary school from the age of 11, after which she began recording and had some of her songs broadcast on the radio. Shortly afterward she compiled traditional Icelandic folk songs, which were to become her first album, Björk. The album was released in 1997 and she got a contract with the record company Franklin.
Throughout her teenage years, she was a member of various band groups. Some of these groups were Spit and Snot (an all-girl band), Jam-80 later changed to Tappi Tikarrass (formed in 1981), Exodus (a jazz-fusion group formed in 1979), and KUKL (a gothic-rock band), which she joined at the age of 18.
Björk would form the pop band Sugarcubes in 1986 with other KUKL members like Einar Örn, Siggi Baldursson, and Einar Melax. The group was joined by Magga Örnólfsdóttir, Bragi Ólafsson, and guitarist Thór Eldon (who later became her first husband).
The band came out with their first hit single Birthday. Because of this one song they got a contract with the record company One Little Indian. Their second song, Life’s Too Good (1988), brought them cult status in both the US and the UK. The band released their album It’s It in 1992 before they split up.
Solo Career, Acting Career
After being in a band for many years, Bjork moved to London, where she started her solo career after the split of the Sugarcubes in 1993. She worked with producer Nellee Hooper to produce her hit single Human Behaviour. The music video was shot under the direction of Michel Gondry and released on MTV.
She released her debut, her second album after Bjork in 1993, which was a huge success with nearly 3 million copies sold. The next album, Post, was released in 1997 and became increasingly successful in the face of sales figures.
She has had a truly successful solo career and has released 8 studio albums, including Homogenic (1997), Vespertine (2001), Medúlla (2004), Volta (2007), and Biophilia (2011), Vulnicura (2015), Utopia (2017). Biophilia was released as a series of apps following a collaboration with Apple, making it the first app album in the world.
Bjork had an acting assignment when she appeared in the critically acclaimed film Dancer in the Dark (2000), which she also set to music. The film, directed by Danish director Lars von Trier, won her the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Collaborations
She has collaborated with a wide range of artists and researched a variety of multimedia projects. Each of her albums features established artists who are all innovative in their rights. Among them are techno gurus Graham Massey, Howie B, Tricky, Madonna, Plaid, Matmos, DJ Thomas Knak, Zeena Parkins, Timbaland, Antony Hegarty, Sjon, Mark Bell, and Min Xiaofen.
Björk worked with David Attenborough in 2013 for his documentary film entitled “When Björk Met Attenborough”. The documentary featured musicians from all over the world who presented their views on music.
Awards and Accolades
The pop star received 14 Grammys nominations, a Golden Globe Award, and two Academy Awards. She’s received a handful of them:
- An Oscar for the Best Song category for the title song of the film Selmasongs, I’ve Seen It All.
- A Grammy Award in 2013 for Best Recording Package.
- Five Brit Awards including the 1994 Award for International Breakthrough Act, 2016 Award for International Female Solo Artist.
- Four MTV Video Music Awards
- One Mojo Awards
- 21 Icelandic Music Awards
- Three Uk Music Awards
- The 2010 Polar Music Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in recognition of her deeply personal music and lyrics, her precise arrangements, and her unique voice.
Björk was included in 2015 Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. A full-scale retrospective exhibition dedicated to her was held the same year at the Museum of Modern Art.
ALSO READ: Bre Tiesi Biography, Boyfriend, Fiance, Family, Quick Facts
Bjork Husband, Son, Daughter
During her time in Sugarcubes, she married her bandmate, Thor Eldon, on June 8th, 1986. They had a son Síndri Eldon Thórsson but were divorced shortly after in 1987. Sindri is a journalist by profession and has a solo project called “Sindri Eldon”.
Bjork was romantically involved with several other members of the music industry, including British artists Goldie and Tricky (from Massive Attack). In 2000 she met Matthew Barney, an American artist, in New York when she was promoting Dancer in the Dark. Afterward, they got along well and got married shortly afterward.
On October 3, 2002, the couple had their daughter, Isadora Bjarkardottir Barney. However, the marriage broke up in September 2013.
Bjork Net Worth
It currently has an estimated net asset of $45 million.
Quick Facts
- Name: Björk Guðmundsdóttir (Björk).
- Birthday: November 21, 1965
- Place of Birth: Reykjavik, Iceland
- Parents: Hildur Runa Hauksdottir (mother), Guomundur Gunnarsson (father).
- Occupation: singer, songwriter, music producer, and occasional actress.
- Spouse: Thor Eldon (1986-1987). Matthew Barney(2000-2013)
- Children: Síndri Eldon Thórsson (son), Isadora Bjarkardottir Barney (daughter)
- Nationality: Iceland
- Ethnicity: Mixture of Irish and Norse.
- Albums: Nine studio albums
- Height: 5 ft 4 in (163 cm).
- Weight: 122 lbs (55 kg)
- Net Worth: $45 million
