In Memoriam: Georg Wadenius, 1945–2026

By Tor Hammerø I May. 12, 2026

Wadenius was instrumental in such bands as Made in Sweden and Solar Plexus and worked with high-profile Swedish artists Cornelis Vreeswijk and Pugh Rogefeldt.
(Photo: Courtesy wadenius.com)

The Swedish guitarist, singer and composer Georg Wadenius died in his sleep on April 30, just days before his 81st birthday. Although Carl Georg Wiktor Wadenius, or “Jojje” as he was called among friends, was born (May 4, 1945) and died in Stockholm, he was truly a citizen of the world.

Establishing himself on the Swedish scene after dropping out of medical school, music was his life. He was instrumental in such bands as Made in Sweden and Solar Plexus and worked with high-profile Swedish artists Cornelis Vreeswijk and Pugh Rogefeldt both as a guitarist and electric bass player. In the late ’60s and early ’70s he also wrote, sang and performed music for children that to this day remains popular with new generations of Swedish children.

After meeting the American bluegrass singer Stefan Grossman on tour in Sweden, it turned out that Grossman knew some of the guys in Blood Sweat & Tears and he knew they were looking for a new guitar player.

Grossman recommended Wadenius to the BS&T guys, who were fascinated by his Jim Hall- and John McLaughlin-inspired playing coupled with his rock background and his ability to play and scat his solos at the same time.

Wadenius was booked on a one-way Stockholm-to-New York ticket and he played with BS&T for three years starting in 1972. From 1979 to 1985 he was part of the Saturday Night Live Band and soon became one of the most sought-after session players in New York — often with up to four gigs per day.

He established himself with his American wife and they had two daughters, Annika and Jennifer.

Wadenius played on records and toured with Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Marianne Faithfull, Michael Franks, Donald Fagen, Blues Brothers and Steely Dan, to name a few. He was an important voice on Steely Dan’s Alive In America album and on Fagen’s recording Kamakiriad.

Following a divorce, he moved back to Scandinavia and met the love of his life, Brit Grønnevik, and they settled in her hometown, Oslo.

In Norway and Sweden he played with and produced records for top artists such as Silje Nergaard, Sigvart Dagsland, Helen Sjöholm, Anne Sofie von Otter and Anne Grete Preus. He also worked in jazz settings with bassist Arild Andersen and drummer Paolo Vinaccia.

Wadenius was active until he passed away and had many concerts and projects planned for the future. He received a prestigious order from the Swedish King last year for his immense importance to Swedish music and culture. DB