Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Two ESC legends, two classics, one project: Logan and Lordi in the studio to record their respective songs. The Irish singer and three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan an the Finnish hard rock artist Lordi, winner of the Eurovision Son Contest 2006, have realized a joint project in which both reinterpreted the other’s Eurovision winning song. Logan recorded a pop-rock version of Hard Rock Hallelujah, while Lordi, together with singer  Noora Louhimo aka Motherbeast, produced a new metal-ballad version of Hold Me Now.  "The idea emerged during a spontaneous phone call. We immediately hit it off", says Logan. "The original idea of a duet for 20th. Anniversary of Lordi’s ESC victory was quickly discarded in favour of a song sway. When I heard Lordi’s demo of their winning song tailored to me, I knew right away that I wanted  to do it." Both songs will be out tomorrow May 15, 2026. So, as it seems Johnny Logan was invited to Vienna Eurovision but declined the invitati...

Now as Ireland has withdrawn from Eurovision song contest at least in 2026, let's have a look of some Irish favorites of mine over the year. Among them quite a few winners as usually Ireland has won with their best efforts. My favorite of them all is however a  completely forgotten runner up, Mysterious woman.  Enjoy! 1980 Johnny Logan - What's another year (1st) 1981 Sheeba - Horoscopes (5th) 1993 Niamh Kavanagh - In your eyes (1st) 1986 Luv Bug - You can count on me (4th) 1997 Marc Roberts - Mysterious woman (2nd) 1984 Linda Martin - Terminal 3 (2nd) 2018 Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Togerher (16th) Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan - Rock'n'roll kids (1st) 1987 Johnny Logan - Hold me now (1st) There would have been quite a few to pick up as well but these sounded the ones at this time and space.  Special mentions go to: 2013 Ryan Dolan - Only love survives (26th) 1965 Butch Moore - I'm walking the streets in the rain (6th) 1991 Kim Jackson - Could it be that I...

  "Here we are back in Sweden. I know, don't blame me, I voted for Finland as well." That's how Petra Mede and Edward af Sillén the scriptwriter decided to open the 2024 Eurovision song contest in Malmö. Just gotta love them both. And yes, today's news is Käärijä will perform in tomorrow's second semi-final besides giving the Finnish jury's votes in Saturday's final.  Another fun moment was the Grindr joke. If there's something good in Sweden's Eurovision it's Petra and Edward. This is Petra's third time (Edward has quite a few more) as host of the show. First alone in 2013 after Loreen won and the contest was in Malmö, sounds familiar? Then she did 2016 in Stockholm with Måns Zelmerlöf and after solo, with a man she's now trying a woman, actress Malin Åkerman and it works beautifully. Petra keeps delivering those little jokes here  and there with stoned face and Malin plays the more serious role. The scandal 1 of the evening is Eri...

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.   Seán Sherrard (68) aka Johnny Logan. Mr. Eurovision by some. He's the only one so far who has managed to win Eurovision song contest twice. Or three times as he wrote another winner, Linda Martin's 1992 winner Why me? (And also her second placed Terminal 3 in 1984 for that matter). But he didn't write his first wining song What's another year. He may have won but his promising career as a newcomer didn't quite get going. He blames poor management and su...

Celine Dion plays the movie soundtrack card once again Did you know the first original recording of this global success snobbed by NRK for Eurovision was by Johnny Logan? Finally released on Secret Garden's new compilation.  Tanel Padar keeps scoring hits from his solo EP Maria Naumova who? - Marie N! - Who?

Johnny Logan, born as Seán Sherrard in Australia, moved back to Ireland at the age of 3 with his Irish born parents. Coming from a musical family he first tried to get to Eurovision in 1979 with Angie , placing 3rd.  The year after he was back with What's another year and won. Seven times 12 points gave him an easy won obver Germany's Katja Epstein who placed 2nd. (After being twice 3rd, must be frustrating!) He earned an UK #1 and a big hit all over Europe. Sadly his follow up singles flopped and he was soon considered a one hit wonder..... Meantime he wrote Terminal 3 for Linda Martin, the Eurovision 1984 runner up. In 1987 he decided to givee Eurovision another go as his career wasn't going anywhere. Hold me now won leaving Germany 2nd again, and he became the first ever double winner. It certaibly was worth returning, as his career also took another turn now and he got it going in Ireland and Germany, and kept it going elsewhere, too, even if those winners...

Valentina Monetta, Jimmie Wilson and their three backing singers with Ralph Siegel and the rest of the delegation are hitting Kyiv tomorrow afternoon.  They have spent the last three days in Munich rehearsing and perfecting their harmonies and dance moves. They are now ready to show some spirit of the night in Kyiv's arena and EuroClub. Are you ready?   They were also filmed and interviewed for German television As said they have three backing singers. American Erin Perry Spiller lives in Germany and has toured with likes of Eurovision winners Katrina Leskanich and Johnny Logan. Meredith Murray Mezzullo is is also American, now based in Germany, married to an Italian. Italian Giuseppe Tirolese completes the trio.  Hmmm... black'n white for a black'n white duo perhaps?

EBU has been revealing names on daily basis since the Jubilee concert in London was announced a few days ago. The 60th anniversary event or Eurovision's Greatest hits will be staged in London on March 31, 2015. It will be hosted by Graham Norton and Petra Mede and below is the list of artists confirmed to appear so far. More names to come so stay tuned.... I will update this post as they happen.  Conchita Wurst - Austria - Winner 2014 Emmelie De Forest - Denmark - Winner 2013 Loreen - Sweden - Winner 2012 Dima Bilan - Russia - Winner 2008 (2006) Lordi - Finland - Winner 2006 Rosa - Spain - 7th in 2002 Natasha St-Pier - France - 4th in 2001 Olsen Brothers - Denmark - Winner 2000 Dana International - Israel - Winner 1998 (2011) Johnny Logan - Ireland - Winner 1980/1987 (1992) *Bobbysocks - Norway - Winner 1985 The Herreys - Sweden - Winner 1984 Nicole - Germany - Winner 1982 Bortherhood of Man - United Kingdom - Winner 1976 Anne-Marie David - Luxembourg...

As we know Australians are crazy for Eurovision. Some Aussies have even song in Eurovision for other countries, from Gina G to Johnny Logan and Olivia Newton-John . In mid 1990's the Australian TV apparently even offered to host the show in Sydney opera house if only they could take part in it. Or then maybe they didn't but the rumor was there. It's an intriguing idea, isn't it? Anyways, Australian SBS has broadcasted the Eurovision nearly 40 years now and it every year gathers a few million Aussies to watch it downunder. After a long wait finally in 2014 Australia will be present in the Eurovision stage officially. They will provide us the interval act in the second semifinal on May 8, 2014. The lucky chosen one is Jessica Mauboy who will sing her hit Never be the same and another brand new, especially for Eurovision written song.  She is "super excited" and declared a fan of the contest since she was 11 years old.

One of the highlights of last night's Danish final was Alexander Rybak's violin medley of some Eurovision winning songs, from Fly on the wings of love to  Hold me now to Hard rock hallelujah , from A-ba-ni-bi to Satellite, Fängad av en stormvind to his very own Fairytale . Great stuff! Watch it here .

Katja Ebstein (66) holds a record in the Eurovision history no one is very likely to break anytime soon: she has been in top-3 three times never winning! Now think about that! I'd be rather mad. Her first two attemps in 1970 and 1971 placed her third, and her final one in 1980 made her runner up behind Johnny Logan. Some 30 albums later, work in theater and TV, musicals, cabaret, books, politics and more she is still around even doing Let's dance in 2007. Her latest album Witkiewicz is from 2005 and includes a new version of Wunder gibt es immer wieder .Several compilation albums have been released since. 1970 Wunder gibt es immer wieder (3rd) 1971 Diese Welt (3rd) 1980 Theater (2nd)

If you have no plans tonight you can always get ready for five (5) hours of Romanian final! The fun starts at 8pm CET and well in to the 2011. You can follow it here . If you want to read my review it's here . Thirteen songs. An international jury (Chiara, Johnny Logan and Niamh Kavanagh are amongst the judges) and last year's Paula Selig and Ovi hosting it all. They played with fire last year and scored third place in Oslo 2010, Romania's best to date (along with Let me try in 2005) so the Eurovision fever in the country is high. The voting is 50-50 jury-televoe and the jurors and hosts are also going to give a miniconcert during the night - after all you have five hours to fill, don't you? Btw, the Finnish viisukuppila's minipoll mostly agrees with me putting Bang bang on top followed by Change, I want u to want me, Dreaming of you, Open your eyes, It's so fine, One by one and Cinema love . It also made me think if Finland had its final tonight - what kin...

Sami Hintsanen (38) is most known as the host of a very popular music quiz show Tartu mikkiin . But he is also the Finnish champion in schlager singing and karaoke who wanted to become the new Bon Jovi. His past include one participation in Euroviisut in 1996 with Auringonkukka (8th) and one CD under name Hintsanen party Project, eurodance covers of Finnish classics. "I deeply regret that album. Record label believed it would score big in ski resorts and cruise boats and the idea was good but it just didn't work out and I wasn't right for it. I was just too shamed to get on stage and perform those songs, like this one " .  He has also experience from musicals and other bands but maybe Euroviisut 2011 will finally make him known also as a serious singer. The rumour is his song is written by Antti Kleemola and he has said it's "more Johnny Logan style Eurovision". Sami will paeticipate in the third semifinal on January 28, 2011 and his song will be made pu...

We all know by now that Lena's Satellite is in the charts all over the place from Australia to Austria, but did you know it is only the 7th Eurovision winner that hits #1 in Finland? And for the first time two Eurovision winners in a row make it? (Well, I personally think one can't compare today's digital charts to those good old days when you had to go and buy the physical single but that's another story....). Germany is also the only country that has managed to make two of its winners #1's in Finland and it took her only 5 days while it took 3 weeks for Rybak last year...  Anyways, between 1971-1984 all the winners were charting in Finland, and with one exception all of them also made the top-10. The biggest of them all is though France's last winner L'oiseau et l'enfant by Marie Myriam as the song also charted in two different Finnish cover versions, by Katri Helena and Merja Rantamäki .  Here are all the Eurovision winner number ones in Finland: ...

It's 30 years since Johnny Logan won Eurovision for the first time, with What's another year. He did it again 7 years later with Hold me now. And again 5 years later, as a writer for Linda Martin's Why me? He still remains the only artist to win it twice. He has just released a new album Nature of love that includes new versions of all three songs. Listen samples here . And olé! There's also a megarare Spanish version of Que es un ano mas . Not on this album, mind you, but on some obscure Mexican compilation album!

Summer is slow season in Eurovision world and all sort of rumors are running wild. Most will turn out to be absolutely untrue, some might have a hint of truth in them. Some are just made up by who-knows-who. Here are some of the latest floating around, with some other useless information: James Fox will be back for UK in 2010, maybe with Lucia Silvas . Ok, we will see about that. Johnny Logan will write the French entry next year. Yeah right. Stefan Raab will have his fingers in the German selection. True. Georgia will participate again. True, too. Apparently. Liechtenstein will debut. Yes, if EBU changes the rules! Cindy Sander will sing for France. Ok, and Johnny Logan will write the song? The Pirates of the sea will return. God no! And today main websites are talking about the Italian version of the Irish entry Et cetera this year. Not a rumour but true. And besides, it IS the original version of the song, submitted already last year to San Marino... Only that my readers heard...

May 9 must be Johnny Logan's lucky day. This time he won in Malmö, where the Swedish TV decided to organize the 37th Eurovision. A record number of 23 countries were taking part in a viking ship inspired setting. Spanish Serafin was the first blind Eurovision artist. Many familiar names here as well: Mia Martini, Tony Wegas, Evridiki, Christer Björkman and Michael Ball for UK. But it was Linda Martin singing Why me? and Europe answered Why not? and she sung a third victory for Johnny Logan. Also Wind returned and flopped after two 2nd places to 16th. Sweden also flopped big time at home coming second to last. A big consolation musr have been they beat Finland at lleast that came last. Again. UK on the other hand took its 13th second place.... http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-VBW9SMo8s

May 9 is the most busy Eurovision final day in the history with 4 finals that day over the years. When Brussels was to be the host it was no wonder to anyone they picked this Europe Day date as well as it landed on Saturday in 1987. The stage was futuristic and impressive, and Viktor Lazlo remains the only presenter who has managed to use Eurovision to promote her own new single that had nothing to do with Eurovision! Johnny Logan returned and won for the second time. Wind returned and finished 2nd for the second time. Gary Lux was there, too, while Italy and Belgium send artists with international fame: Umberto Tozzi & Raf and Plastic Bertrand. Turkey scored a flat zero. Finland was close to withdrawing because of YLE's strike and it wasn't sure Finland would actually be able to participate until Thursday! Finns were specualting before that whether Finland could sing as an interval act or something in case YLE was on strike (and therefor not able to provide the Finnish vot...

April 19, 1980 Den Haag hosted after Israel (and Spain) declined to host the show for the second year in a row, and actually didn't even participate. Morocco appeared for the first (and last) time and Monaco also didn't show up... until 2004 again. Finland came last beated by one point by Morocco so Finns hold the record there, being the only country that ever lost to Morocco! Also Turkey was close to withdrawing when already in the venue. Germany and Ralph Siegel scored a 2nd place after last year's 4th place and would be again 2nd in 1981 and finally win in 1982. He wrote also the Luxembourgish entry that came 9th. Katja Ebstein on the other hand finished in the top-3 for the third time! Johnny Logan won for the first time even if at the beginning of the voting it looked like the Netherlands would win themselves when Maggie Mac Neal scored 42 points from the first 4 countries! Her Amsterdam would drop to 5th place in the end. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoUvO4g7Xzo

Todays's rumour on internet is RTÉ is buying Johnny Logan to do the honors for them in Moscow 2009. In return he will get his own TV-show. That would bring interesting contrast to the contest when UK sends something penned by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Johnny would bring... well, an Irish ballad. While waiting for the eventual confirmation let's remember Johnny's unmatched history in Eurovision: 1980 winner with What's another year , 1984 2nd with Linda Martin's Terminal 3 , 1987 winner with Hold me now and 1992 winner with Linda Martin's Why me ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVkmfNepeHw , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDtspxCIX3Y , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJCpKDRVII , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-VBW9SMo8s (foto: johnnylogan.net)