#charlotte nilsson

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #455:

Winner of the 1999 contest Charlotte Nilsson returned to Eurovision to compete in the 2008 contest. However, this time she placed a disappointing 18th place in the Grand Final.

[Source]

Belgrade 2008, Eurovision.tv.

[swedish-songs]

Sweden has won the Eurovision song contest six times, most notably with ABBA and Waterloo in 1974. In 1999, Charlotte Nilsson (now Perelli) won the Swedish national competition for the Eurovision entry, Melodifestivalen, with her song Tusen och en natt (One thousand and one nights).  

Prior to 1999, every country had to perform their song in their respective national language, but from this year on, contestants have been allowed to sing in the language of their choosing. Nilsson performed an English version of the song, Take me to your heaven, in the Eurovision song contest, and finished 1:st, making this Sweden’s fourth Eurovision win.  

The song is a typical schlager, a type of European pop music most notably common in the ESC. It’s an upbeat love song in which the singer asks her lover to love her for one thousand and one nights, and in return promises to love them for one thousand and one nights. 

Here is a clip of Nilsson performing the song live during the Eurovision tryouts in Melodifestivalen:

[strathshepard]

Charlotte Samuelsson and Matilda Lindstam Nilsson  via Sight Unseen

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Princess Sofia of Sweden (201/∞) 17 June 2024 | Prince Julian, Duke of Halland, visited Getterön in the municipality of Varberg to inaugurate his baptismal gift. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were also present during the visit. (Photo by Pelle T Nilsson/Charlotta Sandelin/Hallands kulturhistoriska museum/SPA/Kungahuset)

[nonsensology]

This was supposed to just be a rough sketch, but then I started getting really invested in it.

I hadn't initially intended to include so many picture book characters, but the nostalgia was overwhelming. Does anyone remember the animated short films produced by Weston Woods? My local library used to have a bunch of them on the Scholastic VHS tapes from the late 90s. (I know some shorts were released on the Children's Circle VHS tapes back in the 80s (🎶 Come on along! Come on along! Join the caravan!), and some were packaged in Sammy's Story Shop in 2008.)

Characters:

Max, from Where the Wild Things Are, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Peter, from The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Brother Bear and Sister Bear, from The Berenstain Bears series, written and illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Pooh and Piglet, from the Winnie-the-Pooh books, by A. A. Milne, illustrated by E. H. Shepard

Owen, from Owen, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.

Mouse, from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Louis, from The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White

Mr. Toad, from The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, based on the illustrations by E. H. Shepard

Mr. Tumnus, from The Chronicles of Narnia series, by C. S. Lewis

Pippi and Mr. Nilsson, from the Pippi Longstocking books, by Astrid Lindgren

Willy Wonka, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl, based on the illustrations by Quentin Blake

Matilda, from Matilda, by Roald Dahl, based on the illustrations by Quentin Blake (with an homage to the Mara Wilson movie)

Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, from Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie

Merlin and Archimedes, from The Sword in the Stone, by T. H. White, based on the illustrations by Dennis Nolan

Pinocchio, from Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi, based on the illustrations by Enrico Mazzanti

Alice, White Rabbit, and Cheshire Cat, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by John Tenniel

Rupert Bear, from the Rupert stories, created by Mary Tourtel and continued by Alfred Bestall, John Harrold, Stuart Trotter, and others.

Arthur Read, from the Arthur series, written and illustrated by Marc Brown

Tin Woodman and Scarecrow, from the Land of Oz series, by L. Frank Baum, based on the illustrations by W. W. Denslow and John R. Neill

The Cat in the Hat, from The Cat in the Hat, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss

a frog on a flying lily pad, from Tuesday, written and illustrated by David Wiesner

Charlotte, from Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White

[black-arcana]

Charlotte Wessels 📸©Mattias Nilsson

[yourdailyqueer]

Gabriel Forss

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 17 April 1974

Ethnicity: White - Swedish

Occupation: Singer, songwriter, reality star, presenter

Note: Represented Sweden in Eurovision 1997 and performed with Charlotte Nilsson in 1999 when she performed in Eurovision.

[thislovintime]

On the set of 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, November 1968. Peter leaving The Monkees, post 1 of 3.

Tom Snyder: “Why did it all break up?” Micky Dolenz: “Well, Peter Tork quit. That was the main reason.” Davy Jones: “Well, he withdrew, he actually withdrew. He didn’t just quit, there was, there was a reason for it. He was not being artistically satisfied in certain ways. And we were, as I said, Micky and I, had done other things before and so we were used to taking the directions. So when it come down to other people, forgetting that Carole King and Neil Diamond and Harry Nilsson, Neil Sedaka wrote all the tunes — and Mike and Peter also did, but they never got the chance really to put any down in the early days. They decided that they wanted to do more music and Peter was the first one. He withdrew, and said that he would prefer to try it on his own so he could do more of what he likes best, which is music.” MD: “They’d been promised, Mike and Peter had been promised that they would be able to express themselves musically because they were from a musical background. Peter had been in New York, in the Village, come through that scene with the Mamas and Papas and Lovin’ Spoonful. And he’s a genius, the man is a genius at music. As I said, Peter was — and is — a genius in music. And he got very frustrated because he wasn’t able to satisfy himself creatively. And Mike felt the same way." - Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, 1977

"We never thought of replacing him — there’s only one Peter Tork in the world. Who knows, maybe in two or three years’ time he’ll come back?” - Michael Nesmith, Melody Maker, March 1, 1969

"'Of all of us, I was the one who took the most pain,’ Tork said. 'But looking back, I think it was misplaced idealism that caused me that pain, not the actual phenomenon — the thing that Michael Nesmith calls "the artifact." 'As a musician, I feel extremely lucky that we got to make one album, Headquarters, that was exactly the album I hoped to make.’" - The Charlotte Observer, May 31, 1997

“I didn't have a band. I wanted this kind of connection and I didn't get it, so I felt it was up to me to leave." - Peter Tork, The Guardian, April 28, 2011

[omegaremix]

Favorites For 2019.

Boy Harsher “Face The Fire”

KVB, The “Afterglow”

Silent Servant Shadows Of Death And Desire

Void Vision “The Source”

Lebanon Hanover “Babes Of The ‘80’s” (Tobias Bernstrup RMX)

Ron Morelli Disappearer

Daylyt Let There B Light

Kanga self-titled

Nas “Simple Things”

Masta Killa & Inspectah Deck & GZA “Silverbacks”

Schwefelgelb Dahinter Das Gesich

Cash McCall “Omega Man”

Wild Man Fischer “I’m Working For The Federal Bureau Of Narcotics”

Dick Walter “The Fat Man”

Firefall “Strange Way”

Ice Cube “Arrest The President”

Figure Study “Wait”

Fontaines D.C. “Too Real”

Adrian Belew “Big Electric Cat”

Azar Swan Savage Exile

Primitive Weapons “Keep The Lights On”

ChandraTransportation

End Of A Year / Self Defense Family “Alleta”

Mirrors For Psychic Warfare “Tomb Puncher”

Body Of Light “Holding You”

Vatican Shadow “Tonight Saddam Walks Amidst Ruins”

Adult. “Lick Out The Content”

Molly Nilsson “A Slice Of Lemon”

Broken English Club “Channel 83”

Urochromes “Night Bully” (Boy Harsher RMX)

Strahinja Arbutina “You Don’t Need This In Your Life”

White Ring “Leprosy”

Cabaret Nocturne “Blind Trust”

Natural Assembly “She Walks In Beauty”

Drvg Cvltvre “I Look For Your Face In The Neon Lights”

Soft Moon “Like A Father”

Primitive Weapons “Negative Mass”

Drvg Cvltvre “Blood Eagle Brigade”

Soma Sema “Artificial Heart”

Grun Wasser “Limits For Limits”

Undertheskin “Cold”

Emptyset “Dissolve”

Pink Turns Blue “I Coldly Stare Out”

Soko “Ocean Of Tears”

Annabel Lee “Hi Hi Hi”

Exasperation “Full Story”

Bangzz��“Your Boyfriend Is Really Bringing You Down”

Lost Under Heaven “Black Sun Rising”

Fa-5 “El Blue”

Clear Soul Forces “Get No Better”

Meyhem Lauren & DJ Muggs “Hashashin” (ft. Conway)

Feel, The “You’re Not Around”

Doe “Team Spirit”

Sky H1 “Huit”

Tera Melos “Men’s Shirt”

Earth “Cats On The Briar”

Thanks For Coming     ”Underboxesbehinddoorsinsidepocketswithindrawers”

Evidence “10,000 Hours”

Priests “The Seduction Of Kansas”

GFXR & Alchemist “Ajax”

BadBadNotGood “In Your Eyes” (ft. Charlotte Wilson)

Hookworms “Negative Space”

Joe Moks self-titled

Billy Cobham “Tenth Pinn” (live)

Iodi “Sonrie”

White Mystery “White Mystery”

Kruangbin “August 10”

Marcio Montarroyos “Pedra Bonita”

Midnight Oil “Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained”

Thanks For Coming “Five And A Half Feet Under”

Ripped Jeans “Afraid”

America Fuck Fertility Clown

Trouble Knows Me “Trouble Knows Me”

S. English “Sanctuary”

Free Time “All Four Seasons”

Sky Ferreira “Down Lullabye”

Terekke “Closer”

Boulders self-titled

Tony Williams drum solo

Drift “Say It Right”

Water From Your Eyes “You Never Admit You Could Be Better”

GG Allin & The Holy Men “Tough Fuckin’ Shit”

Anderson .Paak “Come Home” (f. Andre 3000)

HTRK “Summer Rain”

Priests “Jesus’ Son”

WGSC “Ajax”

Model/Actriz “New Face”

Kedr Livanskiy “Kiska”

DJ Premier “Headlines” (f. Westside Gunn & Conway)

Planit Hank “Life In Crooklyn” (ft. Jeru The Damaja & Buckshot & AZ)

Gnarcissists “Models”

Promiseland “Take Down The House”

Will Haven “When The Walls Close In”

Aurat “Dhokebaaz”

Raekwon “Silk”

Walt Barr “Creepin’”

DJ Muggs “Day Of The Dead” (f. Kool G Rap)

Jeru The Damaja “Harriet Tubman”

*unknown artist “Anastenaria” (Pete Swanson RMX)

Miss Red “Loco”

Deep Red / Canal Street Electronics “Pig And Beast”

Uniform & The Body “Penance”

Preoccupations “Espionage”

Percee P “Put It On The Line (BX)”

JK Flesh “Rub Me Out”

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib “Crime Pays”

Kate Tempest “Holy Elixir”

Big Brave “Holding Pattern”

Rong “Cup”

Chris Connelly & William Tucker Songs For Swingin’ Junkies

Model/Actriz “Matador”

Cave In “Winter Window”

Furbie “Skiball”

Your Old Droog “Bubble Hill”

Teddy Lasry “Riverhead”

Nite Jewel “Real High”

Mike (Bonema) “Ipari”

Heavy Metal Kings “Merciful Fate” (f. Goretex)

Ill Bill “Awaiting The Hour” (f. Killah Priest)

Remote Viewing “Whitney Houston, We Have A Problem”

Ayya “Second Mistake”

Adrenochrome The Buzz Or Howl Sessions

Les Rallizes Denudes “The Last One” (soundboard)

Blonde Tongues “Hey Good Lookin’”

Daniel Avery “Stereo L”

Sleazy “Cauchemar Administratif”

Chastity Belt “Ann’s Jam”

False Figure “Exhale”

Zotz “Vacio”

Gong Gong Gong “Siren”

Weeping Icon “Teeth (& A Handbag)”

Copper Sounds & Franco Franco “Accelerazione Generale”

Free Time “Esoteric Tizz”

CRVEL Sombras.

Preoccupations “Pontiac 87”

Cruz De Navajas “Imperialismo”

Palm “Forced Hand”

False Figure “Cardinal Cross”

Strobobean “When You Won’t Look”

Phil Upchurch “Black Gold”

My Brightest Diamond “Quiet Loud”

Lungbutter “Vile”

Silversun Pickups “It Doesn’t Matter Why”

Bad Tracking “Generic Music”

Strobobean “Keep It Together”

Thanks For Coming “That Way”

Diat Positive Energy

Zotz “Fatal”

Dry Cleaning “Magic Of Meghan”

Tropical Fuck Storm “Can’t Stop”

Temples “You’re Either On Something”

Dude York “Falling”

Halshug Drom

Ing “Closet”

Gong Gong Gong “Down Quantity Road”

Taiwan Housing Project “Buy Buy Buy”

Pure Bathing Culture “All Night”

Dry Cleaning “Phone Scam”

Spirits Having Fun “Auto-Portrait”

Zotz Ultima Noche

Stonefield “Dog Eat Dog”

Kurraka Otra Dimension

Gong Gong Gong “Notes Underground”

N0V3L “To Whom It May Concern”

Necking “Big Mouth”

Pllush “Soft In The Dark” (1st VER)

Lunch Lady “Sweet One”

Sub Dio “Peachy Keen”

Dumb “Club Nites”

Second Still “You Two So Alike”

Mystique 2019 demo

Mock Identity “Where You Live”

Patio “Legacy Continued”

Necking “Spare Me”

Otzi 2014 demo

Kitten Forever “Hell Hole”

Sneaks “Tough Luck”

Duckis “Ohio”

Thanks For Coming “We Can’t Both Be Crazy”

M.A.Z.E. “Human Brain” (re-recording)

Duckis “Issue”

Jeanines “Is It Real”

C.H.E.W. “Bread And Circus”

Knife Wife “Every Living Thing”

Pure Pressure Relampago De Furia

Les Rallizes DenudesHeavier Than A Death In The Family

Pasteur Lappe “Na Real Sekele Fo Ya”

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Their Favorite Eurovision Songs 1956 - 2024 (Headcanons)

Rise!Turtles + Bonus!

A/N: I was just so hyped to see that Albania had chosen Shkodra Elektronike with Zjerm to represent them in Eurovision 2025, that I just HAD to write this. Two songs into 2025! Let’s see if it will get as chaotic this year like it did last year😂😅💚

Warnings: Flashing lights

Raphael:

1 points: TiTAN - Besa (Albania🇦🇱, 2024)

2 points: Ai Coração - Mimicat (Portugal🇵🇹, 2023)

3 points: Satellite - Lena (Germany🇩🇪, 2010)

4 points: Only Teardrops - Emmelie de Forest (Denmark🇩🇰, 2013)

5 points: Take Me to Your Heaven - Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden🇸🇪, 1999)

6 points: Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi - Céline Dion (Switzerland🇨🇭, 1988)

7 points: J’aime La Vie - Sandra Kim (Belgium🇧🇪, 1986)

8 points: We Will Rave - Kaleen (Austria🇦🇹, 2024)

10 points: Waterloo - ABBA (Sweden🇸🇪, 1974)

12 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

Leonardo:

1 points: Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz (United Kingdom🇬🇧, 1981)

2 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

3 points: Take Me to Your Heaven - Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden🇸🇪, 1999)

4 points: Zorra - Nebulossa (Spain🇪🇸, 2024)

5 points: La Noia - Angelina Mango (Italy🇮🇹, 2024)

6 points: Zitti E Buoni - Måneskin (Italy🇮🇹, 2021)

7 points: Waterloo - ABBA (Sweden🇸🇪, 1974)

8 points: Soldi - Mahmood (Italy🇮🇹, 2019)

10 points: SloMo - Chanel (Spain🇪🇸, 2022)

12 points: Fuego - Eleni Foureira (Cyprus🇨🇾, 2018)

Donatello:

1 points: Because Of You - Gustaph (Belgium🇧🇪, 2023)

2 points: Only Teardrops - Emmelie de Forest (Denmark🇩🇰, 2013)

3 points: Popular - Eric Saade (Sweden🇸🇪, 2011)

4 points: The Code - Nemo (Switzerland🇨🇭, 2024)

5 points: Tattoo - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2023)

6 points: Waterloo - ABBA (Sweden🇸🇪, 1974)

7 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

8 points: Before The Party Is Over - Mustii (Belgium🇧🇪, 2024)

10 points: Shum - Go_A (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2021)

12 points: Europapa - Joost Klein (Netherlands🇳🇱, 2024)

Michelangelo:

1 points: Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw (United Kingdom🇬🇧, 1967)

2 points: 10 Years - Dadi og Gagnamagnid (Iceland🇮🇸, 2021)

3 points: Moustache - Twin Twin (France🇫🇷, 2014)

4 points: Give That Wolf A Banana - Subwoofer (Norway🇳🇴, 2022)

5 points: No Rules! - Windows95man (Finland🇫🇮, 2024)

6 points: Run Away - SunStroke Project and Olia Tira (Moldova🇲🇩, 2010)

7 points: Rim Tim Tagi Dim - Baby Lasagna (Croatia🇭🇷, 2024)

8 points: Dancing Lasha Tumbai - Verka Sandurchka (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2007)

10 points: Stefania - Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2022)

12 points: Cha Cha Cha - Käärijä (Finland🇫🇮, 2023)

Bonus!

Splinter:

1 points: In A Moment Like This - Chanée and N’evergreen (Denmark🇩🇰, 2010)

2 points: Only Teardrops - Emmelie de Forest (Denmark🇩🇰, 2013)

3 points: Voila - Barbara Pravi (France🇫🇷, 2021)

4 points: Özülne Apar - Fahree (ft. Ilkin Dovletov) (Azerbaijan🇦🇿, 2024)

5 points: Refrain - Lys Assia (Switzerland🇨🇭, 1956)

6 points: Tout L'univers - Gjon’s Tears (Switzerland🇨🇭, 2021)

7 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

8 points: Fly On The Wings Of Love - Brødrene Olsen (Denmark🇩🇰, 2000)

10 points: Teresa & Maria - alyona alyona, Jerry Heil (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2024)

12 points: Waterloo - ABBA (Sweden🇸🇪, 1974)

Baron Draxum:

1 points: De Troubadour - Lenny Kuhr (Netherlands🇳🇱, 1969)

2 points: Rock Bottom - Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran (United Kingdom🇬🇧, 1977)

3 points: Tout L'univers - Gjon’s Tears (Switzerland🇨🇭, 2021)

4 points: Calm After The Storm - The Common Linnets (Netherlands🇳🇱, 2014)

5 points: Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids - Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan (Ireland🇮🇪, 1994)

6 points: Beautiful Mess - Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria🇧🇬, 2017)

7 points: Hold Me - Farid Mammadov (Azerbaijan🇦🇿, 2013)

8 points: Molitva - Marija Serifovic (Serbia🇷🇸, 2007)

10 points: 1944 - Jamala (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2016)

12 points: Amar Pelos Dois - Salvador Sobral (Portugal🇵🇹, 2017)

April:

1 points: Running Scared - Ell and Nikki (Azerbaijan🇦🇿, 2011)

2 points: Only Teardrops - Emmelie de Forest (Denmark🇩🇰, 2013)

3 points: La Noia - Angelina Mango (Italy🇮🇹, 2024)

4 points: Everyway That I Can - Sertab Erener (Turkey🇹🇷, 2003)

5 points: My Number One - Helena Paparizou (Greece🇬🇷, 2005)

6 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

7 points: Shady Lady - Ani Lorak (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2008)

8 points: Évidemment - La Zarra (France🇫🇷, 2023)

10 points: Rise Like A Phoenix - Conchita Wurst (Austria🇦🇹, 2014)

12 points: The Code - Nemo (Switzerland🇨🇭, 2024)

Cassandra:

1 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

2 points: Jezebel - The Rasmus (Finland🇫🇮, 2022)

3 points: Promise - Voyager (Australia🇦🇺, 2023)

4 points: Ulveham - Gåte (Norway🇳🇴, 2024)

5 points: Blood & Glitter - Lord Of The Lost (Germany🇩🇪, 2023)

6 points: Zitti E Buoni - Måneskin (Italy🇮🇹, 2021)

7 points: Dark Side - Blind Channel (Finland🇫🇮, 2021)

8 points: We Could Be The Same - Manga (Turkey🇹🇷, 2010)

10 points: Doomsday Blue - Bambie Thug (Ireland🇮🇪, 2024)

12 points: Hard Rock Hallelujah - Lordi (Finland🇫🇮, 2006)

Casey Jr:

1 points: Brividi - Mahmood and Blanco (Italy🇮🇹, 2022)

2 points: Euphoria - Loreen (Sweden🇸🇪, 2012)

3 points: The Code - Nemo (Switzerland🇨🇭, 2024)

4 points: Soldi - Mahmood (Italy🇮🇹, 2019)

5 points: Promise - Voyager (Australia🇦🇺, 2023)

6 points: Fairytale - Alexander Rybak (Norway🇳🇴, 2009)

7 points: What’s Another Year - Johnny Logan (Ireland🇮🇪, 1980)

8 points: Zitti E Buoni - Måneskin (Italy🇮🇹, 2021)

10 points: We Could Be The Same - Manga (Turkey🇹🇷, 2010)

12 points: Stefania - Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine🇺🇦, 2022)

[thewomanwholaughed]

Songs I associate with Joker

Please see tags before clicking any links, those with a * mean triggers are involved in the video clips!

This is America - Childish Gambino *

Serotonin Killer - TIMMS *

Que Sera, Sera - Doris Day

No one knows my name - Nate Leath & Sarah Jarosz

Only you - The Platters

Coconut - Harry Nilsson

Applause - Lady Gaga *

Mercy - Jacob Banks

That's entertainment - Judy Garland

Carmen, ACT II: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre - Bizet

The Finger Of Suspicion - Dickie Valentine & The Stargazers

Razzle Dazzle - Chicago (Musical version)

I can't Decide - Scissor Sisters

Joke's on you - Charlotte Lawrence *

Mein Herr - Cabaret (Musical version)

Circus - Britney Spears *

Tagged by || @sanguine-salvation & @ratwhsprs tyyy~ Tagging || @the-cobblepot-colony @clawsextended @frostise @cinnamunspice (For the Al'Ghul!), @peranarkia, @masquenoire and anyone else who wants to steal this please do!!!

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #444:

More solo artist women have won the Eurovision Song Contest than any other type of act.

Solo act women have won 37 years out of the 67 years the contest has been running. That's about 55% of the total wins. (This is counting Conchita Wurst, and counting Loreen twice for both 2012 and 2023).

Additionally, all four winners of the 1969 contest were solo act women, and Loreen won twice.

[Sources & List of Winners]

Lugano 1956, Eurovision.tv. Lys Assia 🇨🇭.

Frankfurt 1957, Eurovision.tv. Corry Brokken 🇳🇱.

Cannes 1959, Eurovision.tv. Teddy Scholten 🇳🇱.

London 1960, Eurovision.tv. Jacqueline Boyer 🇫🇷.

Luxembourg 1962, Eurovision.tv. Isabelle Aubret 🇫🇷.

Copenaghen 1964, Eurovision.tv. Gigliola Cinquetti 🇮🇹.

Naples 1965, Eurovision.tv. France Gall 🇱🇺.

Vienna 1967, Eurovision.tv. Sandie Shaw 🇬🇧.

London 1968, Eurovision.tv. Massiel 🇪🇸.

Madrid 1969, Eurovision.tv. Frida Boccara 🇫🇷, Lenny Kuhr 🇳🇱, Lulu 🇬🇧, Salomé 🇪🇸.

Amsterdam 1970, Eurovision.tv. Dana 🇮🇪.

Dublin 1971, Eurovision.tv. Séverine 🇲🇨.

Edinburgh 1972, Eurovision.tv. Vicky Leandros 🇱🇺.

Luxembourg 1973, Eurovision.tv. Anne-Marie David 🇱🇺.

London 1977, Eurovision.tv. Marie Myriam 🇫🇷.

Harrogate 1982, Eurovision.tv. Nicole 🇩🇪.

Munich 1983, Eurovision.tv. Corinne Herm��s 🇱🇺.

Bergen 1986, Eurovision.tv. Sandra Kim 🇧🇪.

Dublin 1988, Eurovision.tv. Céline Dion 🇨🇭.

Rome 1991, Eurovision.tv. Carola 🇸🇪.

Malmö 1992, Eurovision.tv. Linda Martin 🇮🇪.

Millstreet 1993, Eurovision.tv. Niamh Kavanagh 🇮🇪.

Oslo 1996, Eurovision.tv. Eimear Quinn 🇮🇪.

Birmingham 1998, Eurovision.tv. Dana International 🇮🇱.

Jerusalem 1999, Eurovision.tv. Charlotte Nilsson 🇸🇪.

Tallinn 2002, Eurovision.tv. Marie N 🇱🇻.

Riga 2003, Eurovision.tv. Sertab Erener 🇹🇷.

Istanbul 2004, Eurovision.tv. Ruslana 🇺🇦.

Kyiv 2005, Eurovision.tv. Helena Paparizou 🇬🇷.

Helsinki 2007, Eurovision.tv. Marija Šerifović 🇷🇸.

Oslo 2010, Eurovision.tv. Lena 🇩🇪.

Baku 2012, Eurovision.tv. Loreen 🇸🇪.

Malmö 2013, Eurovision.tv. Emmelie de Forest 🇩🇰.

Copenaghen 2014, Eurovision.tv. Conchita Wurst 🇦🇹.

Stockholm 2016, Eurovision.tv. Jamala 🇺🇦.

Lisbon 2018, Eurovision.tv. Netta 🇮🇱.

Liverpool 2023 Eurovision.tv. Loreen 🇸🇪.

[opera-ghosts]

D’ALTON, Helen [SHEA, Mary Ellen] (b South Terrace, Cork, c 1850; d 5 Curlew Street, Horsleydown, London 16 March 1893)

'One of the purest contraltos to which the sister isle ever gave birth' (The Standard, 1874).

Irish mezzo-soprano who found success as a ballad singer in the 1870s and 1880s.

Mary Ellen Shea was born in Cork, the daughter of John Shea, Esq., JP (b St John’s, Newfoundland 2 July 1803; d St Anne’s Hill, Blarney, Cork 9 October 1858), a merchant, magistrate and sometime mayor of Cork, and his wife Mary Agnes née Corbett (m 21 April 1836). Shea and his father-in-law, Dan Corbett ‘of South Mall, Cork), were leading lights in the organization of Cork’s National Exhibition of 1852, and Corbett was also known locally as a ‘jovial’ amateur actor and vocalist.

Mrs Shea ‘of Buckingham Place’ gave birth to a son, Henry John Francis on 14 June 1837, another on 24 May 1842, another on 18 July 1843, lost an Edward C (‘fourth son’) 5 October 1844 aged 2 1/2 … but doesn’t seem to have gone to the press with the birth of her ‘?only’ daughter.

Miss Shea studied singing with Mrs Charlotte [Sims] Reeves, and came out, for what seems to have been the first time, under the name of Mlle Hélène D’Alton (an improbable, but Irish high-society, surname), at an Ash Wednesday Concert at Drury Lane, 10 February 1869. She gave ‘Il segreto’, ‘O Rest in the Lord’ and joined the Doria sisters in the Athalie music. 

Later in the season (31 July), she sang at the Crystal Palace, alongside Christine Nilsson, Clarice Sinico, Vernon Rigby and Foli, and was favourably noticed as ‘a young lady with a very pleasing contralto voice who sang touchingly the devotional air ‘O Lord, Thou hast searched me out’ from The Woman of Samaria and ��Gentle troubadour’. The Morning Post confirmed ‘[she] ‘sang her two airs most beautifully. She has a remarkably touching quality of voice and her style is polished and confident; her voice, a mezzo-soprano of unusual clearness, travelled to the extremity of the transept with brilliant effect’.

Mlle D’Alton was engaged to appear at George Wood’s Saturday Evening Concerts at Exeter Hall in the new year, alongside Reeves, Santley, Foli and Mlles Sinico and Monbelli (‘The Gipsies Home’, Barnett’s ‘Old Familiar Friend’), after which she accompanied Santley, Mlle Sinico and another pupil of Mrs Reeves, Annie Edmonds, to Ireland (‘the Santley concerts’) and on 17 February 1870 made her first professional appearance in her home town (‘The Gipsies' Home’, Levey’s ‘Baby Mine’ and ‘Come Home, My Sailor Boy’, Blumenthal’s ‘When we are parted’, ‘Sainted Mother’ with Miss Edmonds). The reviews paid homage to her late father, and Ireland confirmed: ‘This young lady has a voice of great richness, uncommon compass and fine free tone. She sings with judgement, proves a good education, and excited a genuine admiration. She is likely to be very successful.’ ‘She always sings with truth, has admirable restraint, never exaggerates, and is sure to please’.

Back in London, Miss Helen D’Alton was billed with another young Mrs-Reeves-trained vocalist, the Scottish Jane Allan Stephen, in Sims Reeves’s Benefit concert (18 March), and over the following seasons, the said Miss D’Alton would appear, on frequent occasions, on concert bills in which Reeves was starred, both in London and in the provinces.

In between, she appeared at the Crystal Palace (14 May 1870) with the stars of the Italian opera, at the Glasgow Saturday Evening Concerts (‘Scenes of youth’, ‘Rich are rare were the jewels’, ‘Looking Back’), and made a single Ash Wednesday appearance at the Boosey Ballad Concerts (22 February 1871, ‘The Blind Girl’s Dream’ with ‘genuine feeling and expression’, Hawes’s ‘I’ll speak of thee’ and ‘O’er shepherd’s pipe’ with Santley). She gave her ‘Blind Girl’s Dream’, alongside Reeves and Santley, at Leicester, and, on 29 April 1871, she sang the title-role, alongside Mme Lemmens-Sherrington, Reeves and Patey, in Roeckel’s cantata The Fair Rosamund at the Crystal Palace and, the following year, his The Sea Maidens ('Maiden Muriel'). At Mr Austin’s concert she sang ‘I dreamed I was in heaven’ from Naaman, and she ventured wholly into oratorio with a Messiah with the National Choral Society, the Rossini Stabat Mater at the Covent Garden proms, an Israel in Egypt with Reeves at the Sacred Harmonic Society and in Carter’s Evangeline at the Albert Hall.

The oratorio experience was evidently not wholly convincing. Over the years that followed, Miss D’Alton would appear, on occasion, in oratorio – from The Messiah (‘scarcely seemed equal to the contralto music’, Manchester, 'scarcely powerful enough for so large a hall' Birmingham) to The Light of the World and The Prodigal Son (Manchester, 7 February 1874), Judas Maccabeus at Bristol, Jephtha/Last Judgement at Cardiff  -- in the provinces, but her frequent London engagements were almost entirely in concert, where her evident speciality was modern ballad music. Pieces such as Mme Sainton-Dolby’s ‘He thinks I do not love him’, Sullivan’s ‘Golden Days’, The Distant Shore’, Looking back' and ‘Will He Come?’, Odoardo Barri’s ‘Mizpah’, ‘Love’s Golden Past’ and ‘The Shadow of the Cross’, Virginia Gabriel’s ‘A Shadow’, Gounod’s ‘Oh that we two were maying’, ‘Meeting Again’ by Cotsford Dick or Charles Salaman’s ‘Eva Tual’ and ‘Loved One’ were delivered in her ‘tuneful contralto voice and unobtrusive style’, her ‘excellent contralto voice and unaffected style’, to good effect. Very occasionally an operatic piece – ‘Ah! s’estinto’, 'Araby, dear Araby' or ‘Quando a te lieta’ – would appear alongside the new ballads, and the classic ones ('The Harp  that once through Tara's Halls, 'O, Erin my country', Samuel Lover’s ‘What will you do, love?’, 'John Anderson, my Jo', 'By the sad sea waves'), a little more frequently an item from oratorio (Hiller's 'Lord, whom my immortal soul'), but rarely did Miss D’Alton venture into the world of the dramatic. I spot her, in 1874, singing in a selection from The Bohemian Girl at the Albert Hall, in 1875, during a modest appearance at the Norwich Festival, as a late replacement, she sang in some pieces of a local operetta, The Science of Love, and in 1878 she took part in a concert performance of Il Trovatore at the Royal Aquarium.

Miss D’Alton, in fact, became quite a regular at the Royal Aquarium where, apart from ballads and the ephemeral operatic experience, she also sang several times in the Stabat Mater (alongside the fireworks and freak shows), and she became an equally familiar presence at the promenade concerts staged annually at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. She took part in these ‘proms’ as late as 1887. On several occasions, too, she appeared in the prestigious Boosey Ballad Concerts (‘My Love has gone a sailing’ by Molloy, Linley's ‘Primroses deck the bank's green side’, ‘The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington’), but without becoming a regular participant.

For a number of years, the 'clever and popular young vocalist' went on the road with Sims Reeves, in varying concert party combinations, alongside Gertrude Cave-Ashton, Foli, Agnes Larkcom et al – and again with Edith Wynne – but her name appeared, it seemed, most frequently on the ballad sheet-music which flowed from the various publishers’ lists: Cowen’s ‘The Better Land’, 'Love and Duty' and ‘A Song and a Rose’, Molloy’s ‘The Old Street Lamp’, ‘The Harbour Bar’, Ignace Gibsone’s ‘The Missing Ship’, Roeckel’s ‘Poppies in the Corn’ and 'A Midnight Song', Stephen Adams’s ‘In heart we both are young’, ‘The Children of the City’ and ‘True Hearts’, ‘I cannot forget’, Blumenthal’s ‘The Old, Old Story’ and ‘Lucy Gray’, Moulton’s ‘Beware’ and ‘I love my love’, Fanning’s ‘Something sweet to tell you’, Campana’s ‘Her Faithful Heart’, Milton Wellings’s ‘Young love that slumbers’, Owen Hope’s ‘In Happier Days’, Caroline Lowthian’s ‘Gates of the West’, Malcolm Watson's 'A Winter Story', as an adjunct to Antoinette Sterling on ‘The Lost Chord’ and to Mme Sainton-Dolby on a number of songs, and, latterly, on the songs of Isidore de Lara ('The Garden of Sleep', 'Once and For Ever'). As late as 1889, Miss D’Alton appeared on the bills of the Monday pops, with a new song by Maude Valerie White.

By the middle of the 1880s, however, she was appearing much less in public and, apart from the Covent Garden proms, largely in charity concerts and on fashionable society programmes. By the time, in 1889 (14 August), that she became the wife of Mr Fallon Percy Wightwick MD MRCS LRCP MB, a well-known medical man, she was appearing only a handful of times a season.

Helen D’Alton’ died just a few years after her marriage, and her obituary insisted that she was ‘a few years ago a highly popular contralto vocalist’. Which was more or less true. ‘Tuneful contralto voice and unobtrusive style’ had probably described her better.

It also insisted that she was thirty-eight years of age. Which was not true at all.She (vocalist, aged 20) and widowed mamma (52) can be seen lodging in Salisbury Street, Westminster in 1871 …

[goat-esc-winner-showdown]

GOAT Eurovision Winner Showdown - Round 1 Poll 14

[unibrowzz]

The Signs and their Eurovision winners

Here we are again, with just one new name this time, but one for a rarely seen sign for once 👀

♈ Aries: Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA, 1974), Ard Weeink (Teach-In, 1975) Lee Sheridan (Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Elisabeth Andreassen (Bobbysocks, 1985), Céline Dion (1988), Nenad Nakić (Riva, 1989), Linda Martin (1992), Rolf Løvland (Secret Garden, 1995) Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Nils Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Sergei Morgun (2XL, 2001) Duncan Laurence (2019)

♉ Taurus: Teddy Scholten (1959), Jacqueline Boyer (1960), Jørgen Ingmann (1963), Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA, 1974), Marie Myriam (1977), Johnny Logan (1980 and 1987), Jay Aston (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Emilija Kokić, Dalibor Musap AND Zvonimir Zrilić (All Riva, 1989), Paul Harrington (1994), Alexander Rybak (2009), Victoria de Angelis (Måneskin, 2021), Oleh Psiuk and MC KylymMen (both Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♊ Gemini: Grethe Ingmann (1963), Anne-Marie David (1973), Salomé (Spain, 1969), Koos Versteeg (Teach-In, 1975), Kaido Põldma (2XL, 2001), Ruslana (2004), Lena Meyer-Landrut (2010), Eldar Qasımov (Ell & Nikki, 2011), Måns Zelmerlöw (2015)

♋ Cancer: John Gaasbeek (Teach-In, 1975), Toto Cutugno (1990), Amen and OX (both Lordi, 2006)

♌ Leo: Isabelle Aubret (1962), Massiel (1968), Vicky Leandros (1972), Per and Richard Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Bobby Gee (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Marie N (2002), Nemo (2024)

♍ Virgo: Dana (1970), Boško Colić (Riva, 1989), Carola (1991), Fionnuala Sherry and Hans Frederik-Jacobsen (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Indrek Soom (2XL, 2001), Nigar Jamal (Ell & Nikki, 2011), Jamala (2016)

♎ Libra: France Gall (1965), Udo Jürgens (1966), Séverine (1971), Chris de Wolde (Teach-In, 1975), Smulik Bilu (Milk and Honey, 1979), Sandra Kim (1986), Åsa Jinder (Secret Garden and Co, 1995) Vince de la Cruz (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Charlotte Nilsson (1999), Loreen (2012 and 2023), Ethan Torchio (Måneskin, 2021), Sasha Tab and Vitalii Duzhyk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♏ Scorpio: Jean-Claude Pascale (1961), Frida Boccara (France 1969), Lulu (UK, 1969), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (ABBA, 1974), Rudi Nijhuis (Teach-In, 1975), Reuven Erez (Alphabeta, 1978), Nicole (1982), Corinne Hermès (1983), Louis Herrey (Herreys, 1984), Tanel Padar (2001), Marija Šerifović (2007), Conchita Wurst (2014)

♐ Sagittarius: Corry Brokken (1957), André Claveau (1958), Gigliola Cinquetti (1964), Benny Andersson (ABBA, 1974), Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens AND Sandra Stevens (all Brotherhood of Man, 1976), Reuven Gvirtz (Milk and Honey, 1979), Mike Nolan (Bucks Fizz, 1981), Charlie McGettigan (1994), Eimear Quinn (1996), Kimberley Rew (Katrina and the Waves, 1997), Sertab Erener (2003)

♑ Capricorn: Esther Tzuberi (Alphabeta, 1978), Gali Altari (1979), Aleksandra Kalafatović (Riva, 1989) Dima Bilan (2008), Salvador Sobral (2017), Damiano David and Thomas Raggi (both Måneskin, 2021), Ihor Didenchuk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)

♒ Aquarius: Yehuda Tamir (Milk and Honey, 1979), Hanne Krogh (Bobbysocks, 1985), Niamh Kavanagh (1993), Gunnhild Tvinnereim (Secret Garden and Co, 1995), Dana International (1998), Dave Benton (2001), Helena Paparizou (2005), Mr Lordi and Kita (both Lordi, 2006), Netta Barzilai (2018), Tymofii Muzychuk (Kalush Orchestra, 2022)**

♓ Pisces: Lys Assia (1956), Sandie Shaw (1967), Lenny Kuhr (Netherlands, 1969), Getty Kaspers (Teach-In, 1975), Yizhar Cohen (1978), Cheryl Baker (Bucks Fizz, 1981) Jørgen Olsen (Olsen Brothers, 2000), Lauri Pihlap (2XL, 2001) Awa (Lordi, 2006), Emmelie de Forest (2013)

UNKNOWN: Lisa Gold-Rubin*, Itzhak Okev and Nehama Shutan* (all Alphabeta, 1978), Alex Cooper (Katrina and the Waves, 1997)

*I did uncover some information regarding Lisa Gold-Rubin and Nehama Shutan which would make them Pisces and Leo respectively, however I was unable to confirm whether they were the actual Eurovision performers or whether they just happened to share the same names. The lead for Gold-Rubin is stronger... but still unconfirmed 😅

**Some sites list Tymofii's birthday as being in September, however his actual Ukrainian Wikipedia page shows it as February 6th, so that's what I'm going with

Corrections/additional information welcome!