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Ann-Margret – born Ann-Margret Olsson on April 28, 1941, in Stockholm, Sweden – is an actress, singer, and entertainer best known for her starring role in the 1963 motion picture Bye Bye Birdie and her co-starring role in Viva Las Vegas (1964), one of Elvis Presley’s most beloved films. Born in Sweden, her family relocated to the US when she was five. She began her career by studying dancing at a young age. By the time she was a teenager, she had appeared on several televised talent shows and performed in many musical theater productions. As part of a group of performers called the Suttletones, she played several dates across the US, ending up on the West Coast. After a performance with George Burns in Las Vegas, Nevada, she became the talk of the town. Ann-Margret released her debut album, And Here She Is… Ann-Margret, in 1961. Her first hit single, “I Just Don’t Understand,” reached Number 17 on Billboard’s Hot 100. After several more albums – On the Way Up (1962), The Vivacious One (1962), and Bachelor’s Paradise (1963) – she came to prominence in the motion picture Bye Bye Birdie (1963), with her performance of the theme song being one of her most iconic recordings. Her acting career began to take precedence over her musical career, although both worlds collided in Viva Las Vegas, where she co-starred with Elvis Presley and sang several duets with the star throughout the movie. Several hit films followed including The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Tommy (1975), Magic (1978), Grumpy Old Men (1993), Grumpier Old Men (1995), and many more. Her recording career slowed down after the mid-1960s although the 1969 album with Lee Hazlewood, The Cowboy and the Lady, brought her attention from the rock community and is now considered a lost classic. A disco-influenced self-titled album from 1979, several gospel albums, and numerous compilations have been released over the years and serve as a reminder of her talents.
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