During the early '70s, Hansson burst on the international scene with his concept album Lord of the Rings, an all-instrumental album inspired by the literary trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien, which had been a best-seller for years among college students. The album received gold record awards in England and Australia. Licensed by Tony Stratton-Smith's Charisma Records label in England and America, the album was the subject of an extensive television advertising campaign that turned it into a hit in progressive rock circles. Two subsequent albums, Magician's Hat and Attic Thoughts, were also released throughout Europe and in America. Hansson was reportedly incapacitated by illness in his latter years, and hadn't recorded following the 1980s. He died on April 24, 2010. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi