Åke Hasselgård

Swedish jazz clarinetist. Hasselgård got his clarinet of his step father when he has 16 and joined Royal Swingers during high school. In 1945 he started to work for Arthur Österwall and played in Artur Österwalls Kvinett and Arthur Österwalls Orkester. In 1946 he was part of Simon Brehms Kvintett but later that year he return to finish his studies. After he had graduated in May 1947, Hasselgård left Sweden for New York to study journalism. He continued to play jazz under the alias Stan Hasselgard. His career suddenly ended at the age of 26 in a car accident outside Decatur, Illinois, November 23, 1948. Born : October 04, 1922 in Sundsvall, Sweden. Died : November 23, 1948 outside in Decatur, Illinois in a car accident.