When Louis Herrey was just 17 years old, he and his two brothers skyrocketed to international fame when they won the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, exactly 10 years after the Swedish group ABBA won the contest and began their own meteoric rise to international stardom.
Dubbed the “Swedish Osmonds” in some circles, the Herreys became the bestselling pop group in Sweden in the 1980s, touring and performing more than 300 live shows. At the Eurovision Song Contest’s Greatest Hits concert in 2015, the Herreys reunited to perform their song contest winner, “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley.” You can watch that performance in the player below.
“[The Church] was always the first thing they mentioned,” Louis Herrey told Church News back in 1988. “If we had been members of another church, I doubt they would have said anything about religion. But for some peculiar reason, our Church always gets a lot of attention. … We were able to introduce a lot of people to the Church. They would be interested in it and start asking questions. A lot of baptisms came from our discussions.”
But in 1987 during a tour of the former Soviet Union, Louis could tell something was missing in his life. So when he got home to Goteborg, Sweden, Louis told his stake president that he wanted to serve a mission. After a series of concerts across Scandinavia, the Herreys appeared at a Church fireside and, with reporters in attendance, Louis announced he would be serving a mission. He left for the Utah Salt Lake City North Mission in September 1987.
And Louis’s personal efforts to share the gospel haven’t ended there. Thirty-nine years after his Eurovision Song Contest win with his brothers, Louis frequently shares quotes from Church leaders on his personal social media accounts, and his blog includes sections about his faith and his personal insights on stories from the scriptures. Today he is the coordinator for Seminaries & Institutes for the Church in Sweden.
And this spring, Louis Herrey will host “The Redeemer: An Easter Celebration”—a recorded Easter broadcast from the Church telling the story of the Savior’s life through art, music, and scripture.
“Many have testified of receiving divine inspiration and spiritual guidance as they have humbly sought to draw closer to God through their artistic efforts,” Herrey states in the presentation. “Consequently, their works of art have inspired countless people to turn to the Savior as well.”
Filmed at the famous Carl Bloch gallery at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark, the broadcast will feature 11 famous Christ-centered works of art from European artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Carl Bloch, Angelica Kaufmann, Henrich Hofmann, Francisco de Zurbarán, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Simon Dewey, and others. Each art piece will be paired with a performance from Latter-day Saint violinist Jenny Oaks Baker and a youth orchestra and choir, including “God Love Us So He Sent His So,” “O Divine Redeemer,” and “He Lives: Theme from the movie ‘Lamb of God.’”
According to Church Newsroom, “Each of these musical celebrations represents the Church’s efforts to extend the reach of the message of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, Atonement, and Resurrection to a broader audience. Creators and Church leaders hope ‘The Redeemer: An Easter Celebration’ will help all people connect with Jesus Christ during the Easter season when Christians throughout the world are worshiping Him.”
The broadcast may be viewed online on the Church’s broadcasts web page or YouTube channel beginning Sunday, March 26.
