The information was confirmed by the star’s brother.
Buddy McCluskey helped ABBA break by in Spanish talking territories (Picture: Getty)
Legendary musician, composer, arranger, producer Buddy McCluskey, who was answerable for Swedish celebrity’s ABBA’s worldwide enlargement when he and his spouse translated their songs to Spanish, died on Might 12, 2026, on the age of 91. His brother Donald McCluskey confirmed the information in a put up on his Fb web page however did not reveal a explanation for dying. “Since yesterday morning, Buddy, my older brother, is in heaven with Jesus, with Alex, with Patricia, with Billy, with Mother, with Dad, with Eduardo Morel Quirno, with Sergio Miahnovich, with Child Videla (from Bungeiborn) and with all our household and pals. Buddy is at peace and really blissful. He sees us and hears us, ” he wrote.
Buddy’s son Roy McCluskey, additionally paid tribute to his father on YouTube, reminding folks he was one of many key figures answerable for bringing worldwide artists to the Latin American market by Spanish-language diversifications. Alongside ABBA he and his spouse Mary helped artists similar to Johnny Mathis, Roberto Carlos, Barry Manilow, Village Individuals, Blondie and Jermaine Jackson join with Spanish-speaking audiences. Roy concluded his heartfelt tribute with the phrases: “Thanks for all the pieces, and thanks for the music.”
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Buddy McCluskey’s son paid tribute following his father’s dying (Picture: Discogs)
In addition to translating ABBA’s songs into Spanish the Aregentinian star additionally traveled to Stockholm, the place alongside Ana María Martínez, he personally coached the group’s singers Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog in the way to sing the language of Cervantes phonetically.
The songs had been recorded in a impartial type of Spanish. When the Spanish-language singles Chiquitita and I Have a Dream, had been an enormous success ABBA went on to document a whole album in Spanish, Gracias por la Música. In addition they later launched 4 further Spanish diversifications from Tremendous Trouper and The Guests.
In 2008 in a chat for the ABBA Fan Membership journal he advised Oscar Alejo Smirnov how the collaboration had come about. He revealed he had ran into the band’s supervisor Stig Anderson by probability at a conference in Miami.
“Stig requested me, ‘Why do ABBA not promote in Latin America?’ I answered, ‘The purpose is that they haven’t recorded in Spanish.’ Stig replied, ‘Properly, we’re Swedish folks and have by no means recorded in Swedish – we simply document in English.’ We defined to him that Sweden had a inhabitants of eight million folks whereas within the Spanish-speaking nations there have been 200 million.” That was sufficient to promote Stig who requested them to work on the band’s Spanish lyrics.
Tributes flooded in for the star because the information turned public. One fan commented on an Instagram put up about his dying: “He did a wonderful job convincing the ABBA supervisor to document in Spanish. After which, the model in our language, of these songs. That with out being a literal translation, they saved the essence of their songs. Thanks Buddy.” One other added: “The hidden genius. Very unhappy. Muchos gracias Buddy.”
A 3rd chimed in: “Not one other one. This 12 months has been so unhappy. I purchased Gracias Por LA Musica the day it appeared in HMV. But it surely’s unusual because it was logged on the again as Sentima. Not Epic. I additionally purchased Tremendous Troupes and The Guests with Spanish songs from a lady in Sweden. The day they each had been launched she despatched them straight to me. I’ve all the time cherished the duvet of Gracias Por La Music. It is so blissful.”
A fourth shared: “I all the time admired him and would have all the time wished to thank him for his nice work particularly with ABBA. R.I.P. His work made him everlasting.”
In the meantime a fifth penned: “Very unhappy on the information of his departure. He left an unimaginable legacy together with his work. ABBA Spanish-speaking followers will probably be immensely grateful for convincing Stig, Benny and Björn to document Chiquitita and afterwards the whole album of “Gracias por la Música” in Spanish.”
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