Bo (le Suisse) Tedner

Baritone sax and flute. Born and raised in Sweden

Bo joined the band in 1969; apparently he liked the sense of controlled anarchy and the international make up of the gang.

Since he was at the time studying medical engineering, he also needed some extra cash. Bo was notorious at rehearsals for reading his textbooks while the other band members were struggling to get the music together. When they complained he just brushed them off with “I know my part already”. He also learned to sing doodoo wah backing and once actually danced on stage.

In the end he got his doctorate but never fullfilled his dream to move to Switzerland (for tax purposes) and ended up buying a ruin in France. His sense of humour kept the band going thru thick and thin and his musicianship was of absolute top niveau. Bosse is a great friend to this day of all the ex Stardust members and at this moment still resides in Sweden and is an active member of the Ballroom Bigband.

You can read more about Ballroom Bigband on this link

Christer "Krille" Lindahl
Swedish musician
 
Replaced Pancho; had lots of experience in jazz bands and with a group called Moonlighters.  He was welcome as a soloist in the swing style. As "le plus beau" of the group he was a good front man, his trumpet soaring to the delight of the crowd.  How he could hold on to two jobs was a mystery, often he went direct to work after returning from touring in the North.  He deliverd bread all over Stockholm! He was always helpful and strong enough to help carry the Hammond up those bloody stairs at Norrlands Nation in Uppsala.
 
He is now retired and living in Stockholm.

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Dick, "Mother", Major

Bassist-pianist, chanteur, arranger. Born in California, immigrated to Sweden in 1965.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1960, he took off for a European adventure and ended up getting a job as bassist with Rolf Barner’s orchestra in Malmö.

This gig led to a chance meeting with Ernie Englund, who led one of Swedens most popular dance bands and was playing in the local Folkets park.

In 1962 Ernie called and asked him to come to Stockholm to try out with his band: this worked out and started a 3 years stint with this unforgettable trumpet player. They toured from one end of Sweden to the other in an old Uppsala city bus which usually stopped running when it was around -20° C. At one of these occasions  the band  started a fire inside using the seats to keep warm. Lucikly the towtruck came before the bus burned up.

After a long list of gigs with K.Staag, Beatmakers, Arne Bills orch. B. Glenmark, Leif Kronlund etc., Major thot it was time to start his own ensemble. He now owned the Älvsjö gula huset after years of living in rented cellars and 2^nd hand apartments so the time was ripe knowing musicians always needed a place to sleep. Plus no problem making noise now that tenants were gone. Stardust was born in 1969 using the name of the famous song which had a good ending: as at the time every dance band needed a theme song to end the evening.  

The bands big break came when it was invited to back Mia Adolphsons summer show in 1970.  At the Folkets park tryout surely what got the band the job was Tony’s drumsolo accompaning Major dancing in his hula-hula skirt and ending with a backward bow showing off his pink culots! 

Needless to say the show was a success and led to lot of gigs for the next 3 years. Probably the most fun the band had was in Austria where they, (followed by their groupies),  played for the Swedes and tried to learn to ski. Noone will ever forget Pancho wildly careening down the slopes in his afro hairdo.  What a sight. He always said “ I  only like to ski straight ahead, slalom is for sissy’s”. Mon Dieu, if those mountains could only speak.

Well as people always said “Stardust was not only a band it was a way of life”, Amen.

Major now lives with his family in a restored winery in the Dordogne and still is active in music playing in the Alps and with a local orchestra called Smoking Tropical.

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Frederick,   Francišek, Grimm

Hammond organ, + doo-doo-wah backing

(also known as Grimmstein)

Born in Tjeckslovakia he came to Sweden after the 2^nd world war and became a Swedish citizen.

Freddy studied to be a music teacher and played classical piano.

He met Major while singing with the Adolph Frederik Alumni choir in Stockholm which Major was directing. At this time Freddy felt he was ready to leave his parents and the home nest so took Majors offer to live in the “gula huset” around 1969.  This would lead to a “major” change in his lifestye, to say the least.  With Major and Walter in charge he was railroaded into becoming the keyboard specialist in the Stardust project.  With the 3 now living in the house and the newly aquired Hammond organ, the nucleus of the band was born.

Freddy had never played jazz or worked with a dance band but liked the idea of being part of this momentous undertaking. With his eagerness to learn and sight reading abilities he soon mastered this style of music. In those days all music writing was done by hand (no easy-to-use word processors)  so the arrangements for the organ were written out classical style. No problem for Freddy, he played everything as it was written to the delight of Major. He became a great asset to the band and his humour and enthusiasim were inspiring for everyone involved.
No one will forget the wild parties upstairs initiated by Freddy after the band played at the American Embassy; the band was payed with 36 bottles of Rum, Vodka, Gin, and Whisky, quelle folie!
Those were the days friends.
Freddy is now retired and lives in Stockholm.

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Tayfun Karatekin Singer.

Born in Ankara, Turkey Through friends at the Turkish Embassy Stockholm, Walter was invited to visit Istanbul bya Prince Baykent who was in the arms business. Tony, who hated to fly, arrived there and was introduced to Tayfun who was performing at the Whisky a gogo. Needless to say he was quite impressed by Tayfuns voice. Walter was invited to sit in on drums and made such a success that he was written about in the newspaper. He was described as a “musical authority”. Tayfun, at this time a well-known singer, wanted to visit Sweden. So Prince Baykent and Tayfun flew up and made a demo recording of “What a Wonderful Feeling” a song written by Major. The recording was with full orchestra, made at Europa Films studio directed and arranged by Lasse Samuelson. It impressed a lot of people and so Tayfun was engaged to start with newly formed Stardust and thus got a foot and workpermit in Sweden. He fit in perfectly with the international gang and also lived in the “gula huset” for a time. His talent assured that the band would have a top quality singer. He could sing any style from Tom Jones to Clayten Thomas. He became a great friend and with his good nature and cool demeanour he helped mediate and end the great “down with Mother Major revolt” which almost caused the breakup of the band. The reason for the revolt was probably some banal thing like one band member “stealing” the other ones ex-girlfriend! Tayfun was also a fine song writer and is responsible for many songs on the LP. He really made the band something exceptional. As fate would have it he found out he had cancer in 73’ and had to quit singing. Tayfun lived some years more with his Lena and worked at a hospital. In the end the disease got him and he died in 82’. The band and all his friends miss him dearly.

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Tony "Dr.Walter" Walter drummer;

Born and raised in England Herr Walter, to be fair, could be the subject of a book if one could find a publisher. He came to Sweden in 1964 after playing at the military bases in Germany. He knew Mike Watson and did a stint with Susy and the Hi Grades. Soon he moved to a well known group called Lenny and the LeeKings and became a pop star. He met Major sitting in with Arne Bills Ork. Soon after he knocked on the door of the Gula Huset and asked for a room. Even pop stars can become homeless. Needless to say Tony brought happiness to many with his humour, gags, and cheekyness. (Major remembers walking along small town streets where Tony, without batting an eye, would ask any young lady he saw if she would like to go to bed with him)! He loved to charm the public with his "light and noise show"; a double drumset solo with Tayfun on the light switch, which thankfully gave the rest of the band a break. He was known for his antics on and off stage, however when the joke was on him that was another story, ha ha. As a lifelong bachelor we all are happy that he is finally married to a lovely Swede called Britt. He is still active and spends winters in Tenerifa running a Karaoke show

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