NEW YORK Last Saturday night in Los Angeles, more than 5,000 fans packed the Gibson Amphitheater to see a band most probably first heard in high school. They came to see Roxette, the duo of guitarist Per Gessle and vocalist Marie Fredriksson, behind the song It Must Have Been Love from the movie Pretty Woman.
The Swedish pair behind that ballad just wrapped up their first U.S. tour in 20 years, a grueling 19-month, 140-city world tour, and is out with a new album, Traveling.
But that tour almost didn t almost, nearly thwarted by a life-threatening diagnosis for the group s lead singer. In a report that aired Friday on CBS This Morning, CBS News Bill Whitaker spoke with the singer about the trials and triumphs of her illness and the group s comeback.
In 2002, Fredriksson was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The cancerous tumor was surgically removed, but months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments left her physically weak, unable to read, and nearly blind in one eye. She withdrew from public life and turned to painting as she underwent extensive rehabilitation. Fans feared they might never see Roxette perform again a fear shared by Fredriksson, who s unique voice lent the group the signature sound behind their string of No. 1 international hits in the 90 s and 90 s.
Fredriksson s powerful voice gave the group its signature sound and a string of No. 1 international hits in the 80s and 90s like The Look and It Must Have Been Love.
She told CBS News, Thank God it s over. ... It was very, very tough. But I m here. I m not dead. When I was very, very ill, we were very afraid.
Seven years later in 2009, she surprised an audience at a solo performance by Gessle in Amsterdam, joining her former band mate onstage in a reunion documented in this YouTube video.
Fredriksson said she was very nervous being back onstage. She said, When we re standing there together, suddenly it, you know, just it was like the old days.
Frail and quiet offstage, Fredriksson is commanding onstage. For her, the audience is like medicine and she credits them with helping her recover.
Touching on the energy generated by thousands of screaming fans, Fredriksson said That s the best, it s just the best. Our fans have been with us for so long.
Roxette fans are so grateful to see Fredriksson and Roxette back in the spotlight, they often sing along to help her along.
Gessle said, It s a miracle that she survived, and it s an even bigger miracle that she s still here, touring, 19 months. Even her doctor said it wasn t possible. But she s doing it, and it s just fantastic.
And unlike most rock tours, Roxette isn t out to promote their new album. Each night, they give fans what they want: the early hits reconnecting with old fans through old songs is a new experience.
We re not out to promote a new album or trying to do something like that, Gessle said. We try to do a greatest hits show for the fans, basically.
Fredriksson said she feels absolutely...so much better even after 19 months of touring than she did before.
