Eurovision Daily

Six years ago today, Ellen Winther passed away. Born on 11 August 1933 in Århus (Denmark), she was a Danish opera singer and actress. Winther trained as an opera singer and made her professional debut in 1957 at the Royal Danish Theatre, where she would be employed for 30 years both as a singer and a dramatic actress. In 1962, Winther won the Danish Eurovision Song Contest selection with the song 'Vuggevise' ('Lullaby'), and went forward to the seventh Eurovision Song Contest. The song finished in joint tenth place of 16 entries. In 1983 Winther was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog for her contribution to the arts in Denmark. She was married to pianist John Winther between 1960 and 1966, with two children from this marriage, and to writer and politician Hans Jørgen Lembourn from 1973 until his death in 1997.

Rather surprisingly, no Eurovision performer has ever been born on 29 July as far as we know - nor has anyone ever passed away on this date. In that case, there's always the next best thing: a composer. And in 1931 on this day, a very renowned composer was born: Kjell Oddvar Karlsen, a Norwegian band leader, composer, arranger, jazz pianist and organist, with a career spanning more than 60 years. Inspired by the Nat King Cole jazz ensembles from the time of World War II, he started his own orchestra at the age of 16 in 1947, The Syncopators Band, in Sarpsborg, and he soon became a central figure in the local jazz scene. His Kjell Karlsen Orchestra performed the music in the national final of the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix in 1966, 1967 and 1968. Karlsen also was the composer of 'Kom sol, kom regn', which represented Norway in 1962, as performed by Inger Jacobsen.

It is 21 years ago today that Inger Jacobsen died of cancer, aged 72. Born on 13 October 1923, she made her first recordings during World War II and became a popular singer and actress in the post-war period, appearing often on television and radio, and in films and stage productions, until shortly before her death. In 1962, Jacobsen was chosen to represent Norway at the seventh Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Kom sol, kom regn' ('Come sun, come rain'). The song finished in joint tenth place of the 16 entries, having picked up just two votes, both from the French jury.