An Xtra Happy Birthday; October 9th

After a slow few days in the Eurovision birthday calendar, we are back with a bang today! No less than five Eurostars were born on this day, and we are of course here to congratulate all of them on their birthday! One is a Eurovision winner, while another failed to qualify for the final. The oldest participated at Eurovision before any of the others were even born. And she won! Our first birthday Eurostar today is France Gall! 

France Gall, 70

France Gall represented Luxembourg at the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest in Naples. She performed Serge Gainsbourg’s song, “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”. And as we all know; she won! This was the first time a young, hip singer with a contemporary song won the contest. A lot of people consider this entry to have changed the contest, as in the years to come many more modern entries took part.

Burak Güven (Mor ve Ötesi), 42

Burak represented Turkey at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. He did so as bass player and backing singer of Mor ve Ötesi. Their “Deli” is possibly the best rock entry in the last…I don’t know…sixtysome years (yeah, getting personal again; sorry, it just happens…). They finished in an ever so deserved 7th place, which regardless is approximately five or six places too far down on the scoreboard.

Nicky Byrne, 39

Nicky represented Ireland at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. He performed the song “Sunlight”, finishing 15th in his semi-final, thus failing to reach the final.

Csezy, 38

Csezy represented Hungary at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. She performed the song “Candlelight”, finishing last in the second semi-final. As a result of this she did not get to perform her song again in the final.

Sidsel Ben Semmane, 29

Sidsel represented Denmark at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest in Athens. There she performed the up-tempo song “Twist of Love”. Since Denmark finished in the top 10 in 2005, Sidsel was automatically qualified for the final, where she finished 18th out of 24.

All of us here at escXtra wish France, Sidsel, Csezy, Burak and Nicky the best of birthdays!