Bibi Johns

Swedish star actress and singer Bibi Johns forged her career primarily in Germany from 1954. The daughter of haulage company owner Bertil Johnson, she was born Gun Birgit Johnsson in Arboga, a small town in the central Swedish province of Västmanland. After leaving high school - and at the insistence of her parents-- she attended a school of fashion design in Stockholm, but took music lessons on the side. At eighteen, she began on stage as a vocalist, clarinetist and guitarist with the group Vårat Gäng (Our Gang). When the troupe was disbanded two years later, she joined first the Trio Yvonne Modin and then the jazz sextet of saxophonist Carl-Henrik Norin (1920-1967). In 1951, she moved to the U.S. on a recording contract with RCA Victor, resulting in the release of six singles. Two years later, she won first prize on the American TV talent show Chance of a Lifetime (1951), hosted by John Reed King.

Whilst on a return visit to Sweden, Bibi met the composer and music producer Nils Nobach who prompted her permanent move to Germany. She recorded a number of top-selling German-language hits for Nobach's Electrola label, notably "Bella Bimba", "Gypsy Band" and a German cover version of "Papa Loves Mambo". From 1954, Bibi appeared in German films and TV productions, often light entertainments with musical content, alongside performers like Peter Alexander, Rudolf Prack, Gardy Granass, Harald Juhnke and Georg Thomalla. She had several leading roles on the big screen, including Die Rosel vom Schwarzwald (1956), Musikparade (1956), the Theo Lingen farce Die Unschuld vom Lande (1957), the musical romance Unter Palmen am blauen Meer (1957) (filmed on location in Italy) and the musical comedy Liebe, Jazz und Übermut (1957). By 1961, Bibi had become one of the most popular entertainers in Germany. She went on to make frequent appearances as herself in numerous variety shows and nostalgic specials on television (Kennen Sie Miss Johns? (1964), Continental Showcase (1966),Bibi, Max und Evergreens (1968)), as a panelist in shows like Dalli Dalli (1971) or as guest artist in the engagingly folksy Zum blauen Bock (1957) or Die Rudi Carrell Show (1965). In 1971, she toured Europe, performing alongside Tom Jones. She also continued her recording career in both England and Germany. In 1998, she released a compilation of international songs in German, English, French and Swedish for Bear Family Records, titled 'Vielleicht ein Leben Lang' (numbers include "Eleanor Rigby", Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" and Gilbert Bécaud's "Et Maintenant"). Bibi Johns continues to be a tireless performer on radio and television.

By the mid-70s, she had also discovered her muse as a painter, now well-established and exhibiting her work in several German cities. Strongly opposed to the wearing of animal pelts, she is also a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She resides in Pullach, near Munich, in Upper Bavaria.