Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Loreen of Sweden is the 15th previous Eurovision song contest winner who has decided and/or managed give it another try. Only Ireland's Johnny Logan has managed to win twice, as we all know. One can't really do a ranking however as the contest had changed so much from the 1950's with maybe a dozen songs to the approx 40 we have these days. In coming days I will feature the winners who decided to come back  after  winning the contest as there also many winners who have won with their second or third try.   Isabelle Aubret (or Thérèse Coquerelle, 84) scored France's third win in 1962 with a classic love song Un premier amour. After Eurovision she was to do movie Les parapluies de Chérbourg, but   poor Isabelle was injured in a fatal car accident and had to pass. It's the classic that scored Oscar nominations among other things and made Catherine Deneuve. Who knows if only...  But in 1968 she was back after multiple operations and long rehabilitation. La sourc...

Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the win ners Claudio Villa (1926-1987) first Eurovision experience came in 1962 (the second one is here )  with Addio, addio that won Sanremo performed by himself and Domenico Modugno who already had two Eurovisions behind him (and third yet to come). Placing 9th out of 16 it quite wasn't the result the supertsar wished.  The song wasn't a domestic hit the way Sanremo winners tend to be either and one can only wonder did it win only because it was a joint effort of the biggest stars Villa and Modugno?  The song that came 4th became an evergreen and global success, namely Quando quando quando by Tony Renis and  Emilio Pericoli.. The Renis version ends up selling more copies than all the other entries put together..... Oh well.....

Isabelle Aubret was a regular in the French Eurovision song contest selections. She first took part in 1961 with Le gars n'importe óu finishing second. The year after she was back with Un premiere amour  , won and went on to win also Eurovision song contest 1962. The ex-gymnastic had a great star for her career and all was going fine and she had hits and was also offered the leading role in the film Les parapluies de Cherbourg (that then went to Catherine Deneuve) but a car accident ended that. She had several operations and it took awhile before she was able to come back to business.  She made her comeback in the French selection 1968 with La source and won again, and finished 3rd in Eurovision behind Massiel and Cliff Richard. The song was a very daring one at the tme, dealing with rape..... But she didn't stop there and tried to get back to contest a few times: Oliver, Olivia in 1970 (2nd), Je te conneis déjà (6th in semifinal) in 1976 and finally France,...

  Finland celebrates its 100th year as an independent state and has ever since searched for its place in Europe and the world, between East and West. Sometimes with less success. As we speak in 1939 we were at war again with Soviet Union but - let's make a huge change of subject here -  since 1961 Finland has been taking part in the Eurovision song contest (and we also took part, and won twice, the copycat contest behind the Iron curtain, Intervision song contest). It may have taken awhile before we won, but it never stopped us taking part. EBU did, in those crazy 1990's-early 2000's. Let's look back in coming days as a countdown to the Big Day some of the most memorable and significant entries from Finland..... In 2002 Finland sent Laura Voutilainen with Addicted to you to southern neighbour Estonia. Expectations were high as usual, and there was a thrilling buzz all around Helsinki the big night; bars were showing the contest, thousends of Finns were at...

Marion turns 71 today. Happy birthday! Marion debuted at Eurovision back in 1962 when she was just 16 placing 7th with Tipitii . She went back to Luxembourg 11 years later and scored Finland's best placing (6th) until Lordi's win with Tom tom tom . She sung and recorded in several languages and her career continues still - nearly 400 recorded songs and counting - and she's done it all from shows to international career and is propably the most award winning Finnish singer abroad as she has done most every major festival, always picking up some trophy, including winning the Intervision song festival. Twice!

Marion Rung turns 70 this December and will wrap up her career with a farewell tour this fall in Finland. A career that covers six decades, ever since she represented Finland in the Eurovision song contest 1962 placing 7th with Tipi-tii . Another Eurovision followed in 1973 with Tom, tom, tom and she scored the best placing ever for Finland until Lordi's win, 6th. She also won the Sopot or Intervision song contest twice, 1974 and 1980 . In between she also got her career going in Germany releasing among others El Bimbo in 1975 that sold over 100.000 copies. In 1978 she recorded Love is... . album in London in English for the international market. Over the years she also won Golden Oprheus in Bulgaria, won a special award by the jury at Golden Stag festival in Romania, won the award for the best performed in Yamaha festival in Japan, came 3rd in the Istanbul song festival and won the Finnish song contest Syksyn Sävel in 1977. She has been also awarded with several Finnish award...

It's hard to believe but it's 50 years since Marion Rung started her singing career with the release of Brigitte Bardot . Right after she won the Finnish selection for Eurovision 1962 with Tipitii and countless national and international festivals and contests followed: Eurovision 1962 (7th), Sopot festival 1962 in Poland (7th), Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria 1968 (winner), The Golden Stag 1968 in Romania (Special award by the jury), Eurovision 1973 (6th and Finland's best placing until Lordi's win in 2006), Sopot festival 1974 in Poland (winner), Yamaha festival 1968 in Japan (Award for the best performer), Istanbul festival 1976 (2nd), Musical Mallorca festival 1977 in Spain (Award for the performer), Syksyn Sävel 1977  (winner), Sopot festival 1980 in Poland (winner). No Finnish artist can match that list, and very few foreign either!  But back to present. She will start her 50th anniversary show - her biggest so far and she has done many over the decades - on Octo...

Last weekend the big Finnish schlager event Vihreät niityt took place in Kajaani, northern Finland. Several Eurovision veterans were present from Katri Helena to Marion, Laura Voutilainen and Riki Sorsa. And the new tango king without a crown, Heikki Koskelo. Marion was singing and performing with bronchitis but no one really noticed. She's touring this summer with her 50th anniversary tour in business and she's freshly married with a man 20 years to her senior. And her latest album sold gold last year.  Katri Helena is having an easy summer gigwise as she performed only five times while she is recording her new album, the first for the new rock orientad label with songs from new writers to her. She will be back on tour only next spring. Later this autumn a musical based on her life will premiere in Helsinki. The tickets are sold out already for dozens of nights.... Laura Voutilainen is also recording a new album in Iceland and promises "ballads to listen in candleligh...

Marion Rung has married in secret last Saturday. The new husband is 22 years her junior and likes to keep out of public eye. Her previous husband died in  2006. " You never know what's around the corner" she comments happily in today's Iltalehti. "Life is full of surprises !" Blogilkar congratulates!

Finland has barely recovered from the news that Katri Helena (65) is dating a guy 32 years her junior and now we get the news Marion Rung (65) got engaged already last summer with a guy 22 years her junior! Way to go gals! :-) Blogilkar's gossip corner is delighted and congratulates both ladies! Marion is btw prepairing her 50th anniversary tour for this fall.

Marion Rung released her first album with new material in 9 years yesterday and it's a gold disc already! Elämänvoimaa is proving she is still full of life The record release party was last night  This is her 8th gold disc and first in 31 years as all her golds and one platinum are from the 1970's! Listen here . Congratulations Marion and welcome back!!!

Marion, who will be 64 on December 7 has a long and succesful career behind her. Several international festivals, including 7th place in Eurovision 1962 with Tipi tii and 6th place in 1973 with Tom tom tom and two wins in the Intervision/Sopot festivals 1974 with Uskon lauluun and  1980 with Hyvästi yö . She also won Syksyn Sävel 1979 in Finland with Rakkaus on hellyyttä . She also had a taste of international career in mid-late 1970's with hits like Senorita por favor and El Bimbo . She also did an album in the UK called Love is... She has also recorded many Eurovision covers, including Ey-sham , Hallelujah, Disco tango, Pas pour moi and recently performed Se på mig . In the 2000's it's been quiet in the recording studio but in 2004 she recorded this great track Kuin tulisit kaukaa written by Kaija Kärkinen & Ile Kallio (ESC 1991). Here she is on stage with the other ladies with a medley of Juice Leskinen's songs. Viidestoista yö that starts at 2.45 is ma...

Marion Rung releases a new album after nine long years titled Elämänvoimaa (Lifepower). Such a shame YLE didn't invite her to Euroviisut 2010! Apparently she would be willing to have a third go of it and knowing her she would just adapt to the bigger settings without difficulties - just like she did at 16 in 1962, and again 11 years later... Both times in Luxembourg, singing first. The album will be in the end of October and the record release party and gig in Freda 51 in Helsinki on October 29, 2009.

Marion is recording a new album, her first one in ten years so the timing would be good also for YLE to invite her back to Eurovision, don't you think? After all she has always scored well abroad: 7th in Eurovision 1962 with Tipitii , 6th - and our best placing until Lordi - in 1973 with Tom tom tom . She has won Intervision in Sopot twice, in 1974 with I believe in music and 1980 with Hyvästi yö (that we should have sent to Eurovision instead). She also won Syksyn Sävel 1977 with Rakkaus on hellyyttä . And that's not all: 1968 Golden Orfeus in Bulgaria (1st), 1968 Golden Stag in Romania (special price by the jury), 1974 Yamaha festival in Japan (award for the best artist), 1976 Istanbul song festival (3rd), 1977 Musical Mallorca festival (award for best performer)... She has also recorded a lot of Jewish songs and of course many covers like Pas pour moi and Se på mig In 1970's she also scored a few hits in Germany like El Bimbo and Senorita for favor .Last year she ...

In 1962 there were no new countries taking part but all the old ones returned to Grand Auditorium de RTL for the 7th Eurovision, held for the first and last time on Sunday. Yet again a French ballad won when France scored its third win. A new voting system was taken in use when each jury member gave to his or hers top 3 favourites 3,2 and 1 point. France won clearly with Isabelle Aubret's Un premier amour : 26 points against Monaco's 13. Marion from Finland opened the contest and would do so again in 1973 in same place - an Eurovision record to break this one. Isabelle instead returned to try her luck in 1968 scoring a respectable 3rd place with La source. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLt3AxYPLs0 , http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=BNrahkiMUpw

Marion's choir from Helsinki was the last choir to drop out from Kuorosota, or the war of the choirs. The two choirs that reached the final are from Espoo (hooray!) lead by Mikki Kauste and Lappajärvi, lead by Timo Kotipelto. In next week's final they will both perform three songs. Maybe Marion should have made her choir to perform Tipi tii or Tom tom tom to stay in contest? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLyFvE5WodY , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lD212Fr8XQ