Does it pay off to return to Eurovision after you have already won it once? Generally previous winners do well. Some acts have returned over and over again without winning and with variable results. Honorable mentions go to Peter, Sue & Marc from Switzerland, Katja Epstein and Wind from Germany... but let's have a look at the winners:
The very first winner Lys Assia returned again in 1957 and 1958 (were there no other singers in Switzerland back then??) but the victory didn't struck her again, even if she came 2nd in 1958. Isabelle Aubret, the French winner in 1961 returned in 1968 and came third. Italy's Gigliola Cinquetti was close to win twice, too. In 1964 as sweet 16 and ten year's later a grown up woman came 2nd behind ABBA. In 1991 she was back on Eurovision stage in Rome, trying to keep Toto Cutugno making a complete disaster of the final in Cinecittà. The we have Ireland's Johnny Logan, the only one to win twice (or rather 3 times as Linda Martin's song in 1992 was written by him): in 1980 and again in 1987.
Elisabeth Andreasson represented Sweden once (8th in 1982) and returned for Norway as Elisabeth Andreassen and won in 1985. She returned again for Norway in 1994 (6th) and yet again in 1996 when she was a solo act for the first time and nearly won coming 2nd. A very good score for her! Carola tried Eurovision for the first time in 1983 (3rd) and returned to win in 1991. Her third try in 2006 ended a disappointing 5th place. Ireland's Linda Martin also nearly won it twice but in reverse order: 2nd in 1984 and 1st in 1992. So, this year Charlotte Nilsson, winner of 1999, returns as Charlotte Perrelli as any former winner is a superfavourite. Will she follow Johnny Logan's footsteps or will she do La Cinquetti or Carola-esque "fiasco"? Or will Russia's Dima Bilan rise from the 2nd place in 2006 to victory in 2008? Time will tell...
The very first winner Lys Assia returned again in 1957 and 1958 (were there no other singers in Switzerland back then??) but the victory didn't struck her again, even if she came 2nd in 1958. Isabelle Aubret, the French winner in 1961 returned in 1968 and came third. Italy's Gigliola Cinquetti was close to win twice, too. In 1964 as sweet 16 and ten year's later a grown up woman came 2nd behind ABBA. In 1991 she was back on Eurovision stage in Rome, trying to keep Toto Cutugno making a complete disaster of the final in Cinecittà. The we have Ireland's Johnny Logan, the only one to win twice (or rather 3 times as Linda Martin's song in 1992 was written by him): in 1980 and again in 1987.
Elisabeth Andreasson represented Sweden once (8th in 1982) and returned for Norway as Elisabeth Andreassen and won in 1985. She returned again for Norway in 1994 (6th) and yet again in 1996 when she was a solo act for the first time and nearly won coming 2nd. A very good score for her! Carola tried Eurovision for the first time in 1983 (3rd) and returned to win in 1991. Her third try in 2006 ended a disappointing 5th place. Ireland's Linda Martin also nearly won it twice but in reverse order: 2nd in 1984 and 1st in 1992. So, this year Charlotte Nilsson, winner of 1999, returns as Charlotte Perrelli as any former winner is a superfavourite. Will she follow Johnny Logan's footsteps or will she do La Cinquetti or Carola-esque "fiasco"? Or will Russia's Dima Bilan rise from the 2nd place in 2006 to victory in 2008? Time will tell...
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