"No one has given a damn"
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/klick/article3490996.ab

A q-tip could have ruined the music career. But fate wanted differently and now Lars Eriksson makes a success on the stage. Klick! has met one of Sweden's new "Idol"s.

Vilken låt ska han sjunga? Vilken skjorta ska han bära? Hur ska han stå? Om bara några timmar är det dags för direktsändning framför miljoner tv-tittare. Men stressen har ännu inte nått Lars Eriksson, 28. Han slår sig ner i soffan utanför studion, med händerna stilla i knäet. – Jag är inte så nervös, säger han.   What song will he sing? What shirt should he wear? How should he stand?
  In just a few hours it's time for live broadcasting in front of millions of television watchers. But the stress has still not reached Lars Eriksson, 28. He sits down in the sofa outside the studio, with his hands stil in his knee.
  - I'm not very nervous, he said.

His hearing got destroyed
  The calm might come from Karlskoga in Värmland [swedish province}, where Lars grew up in a big house on the top of a hill. Five years old he started playing the piano, some years later he discovered the guitar. Soccer and girls will have to be excused, but since then the music has meant everything. The high school studies got exchanged to touring in a red Volkswagen bus and together with three friends he went to Germany. The plan was to become world famous and never return. They only stayed in 28 days. And some time later something happened which could have put a definitive stop to Lars' soon-to-come career.
  He was sitting and tying his shoes in the hall with a q-tip in one of his ears. His dad surprised him by climbing up behind his back to give him a loveable swing at the back of his head. The q-tip got into the ear 6,5cm and destroyed Lars' hearing for a whole year.
  - I interpreted that as if life didn't want me to do music.
  He went out and traveled instead. Berlin, Nepal, and Schweiz. Then Lund awaited him and studies in Icelandic, Arabic, Latin and Spanish.
  But the music was still a big part of Lars' life. And when a friend reported him to "Idol" he jumped on the train - without hesitating. Now all the Swedish people can follow his way to the top.
  - If you start thinking it's all about me standing there and singing a couple of songs. I've done that all my life and no one has given a damn. Until now.
  Lars has written around 180 own songs. The inspiration comes from human, nature, good books and "beautiful evenings and nights".
  - Music is so much more than just music. It is comfort, it is magic, it is passion. A religion that cannot be explained. God when he's at his best.
  Lars worships music. And the fans worship Lars. On his MySpace-site he's gotten over 600 messages. Most of them from girls. But Lars is single. His latest relationship, which lasted for eight months, ended last year. He doesn't mind the attention.
  - It's really fun and this is an exciting time. I try to make use of it, he says.
  The dream is to release his own record and be able to earn his living on the music. Without having to finger on his integrity.
  - You get a lot of advices and it's easy to get picky and loose yourself. So I usually listen to others and then do whatever I want to anyway.