An Xtra Happy Birthday; July 6th

Today’s birthday trio consists of a Macedonian lady and two gents, one from the Netherlands, the other from Switzerland. Unfortunately, in addition to sharing a birthday, they also share the sad fortune of not qualifying for the Eurovision final. But let’s focus more on birthdays and not so much on non-qualifications!

Gordon, 49

Gordon Heuckeroth took part in the 2009 Eurovision in Moscow, as part of the group De Toppers. They represented the Netherlands with the song “Shine”. Finishing 17th in the second semi-final, they failed to qualify for the grand final. Next year Gordon will probably throw a big party for his 50th birthday, but today he celebrates his 49th.

Adrian, 45

Just like Gordon, Adrian Sieber also participated in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. He represented Switzerland, along with the rest of the band Lovebugs. Adrian is the lead singer of Lovebugs, and he is also the songwriter behind most of their music. THis includes their Eurovision entry “The Highest Heights”, which he co-wrote with two of the other bandmembers. They were one of the pre-contest favorites, but failed to make it to the final after ending in a very disappointing 14th place in the first semi.

Jana, 24

Jana Burcesca made a huge impression on the viewers during the first semi-final in Kyiv, 2017. While being interviewed in the greenroom, her boyfriend proposed to her, and she said yes! In her video postcard she had also revealed that she was pregnant! So even though she didn’t qualify for the final, I’d say the evening of the second semi must have been one of the best nights in Jana’s life! After the semi she joined us on the livestream where she told us that if her baby is a girl, they will name her Dona. And today she has another thing to celebrate; her 24th birthday!

All of us here at escXtra send our warmest congratulations to Gordon, Adrian and Jana!