As I’ve been working through the data on Six on Stage, I’ve found lots of family relationships between participants. Sometimes they’ve been relatives within an act (e.g. the sisters of Las Ketchup); sometimes they’ve been many years apart.
Here are some of the most notable.
Jacques Pills and Jacqueline Boyer
Jacques Pills was Monaco’s first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1959. He came last. But his daughter Jacqueline Boyer did somewhat better just a year later, winning the Contest for France.
(Every time I read the name Jacques Pills I hear it to the tune of Roberto Bellarosa’s Love Kills…)
Irma and Nina Tapio
Irma Tapio was a member of Ystävät, who performed for Finland with Fredi in 1976, and she returned two years later to provide backing for Seija Simola. Nearly 30 years after Irma’s debut, her daughter Nina Tapio was a backing artist for Geir Rönning’s 2005 entry Why.
Fredi and Hanna-Riikka Siitonen
Speaking of Fredi (aka Matti Siitonen), who first appeared at Eurovision in 1967, his late daughter Hanna-Riikka was a backing artist on several occasions, including alongside Nina in 2005.
Side note: Eva-Riitta Siitonen, Hanna-Riikka’s mother and Fredi’s wife, had a successful career in Finnish politics. She’s been an MP, an MEP, a provincial governor and Mayor of Helsinki.
Bo Halldórsson and Svala
Another father and daughter Nordic pairing is Bo Halldórsson, who represented Iceland with Núna in Dublin in 1995, and his daughter Svala, who represented them with Paper in Ukraine in 2017.
Lyubomir and Dian Savov
Lyubomir Savov (aka JuraTone) and his son Dian Savov (aka DJ Dian Solo) were two of the founding members of Deep Zone Project, who represented Bulgaria in 2008. DJ, Take Me Away came 11th in its semi-final.
Knez and Ksenija Knežević
When Knez (Nenad Knežević) performed Adio for Montenegro in 2015, he was supported by his daughter Ksenija Knežević as one of his backing vocalists. This year she’ll be back as a lead artist, representing Serbia as part of the group Hurricane.
Michèle Arnaud and Dominique Walter
This is another pair who represented different countries as solo artists. Michèle Arnaud was one of the two singers to perform two songs at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 (the other being the winner, Lys Assia). Michèle did so representing Luxembourg.
Her son Dominique Walter represented France a decade later with the song Chez Nous.
Benny Andersson and Peter Grönvall
We finish with one of the biggest names in the history of Eurovision, ABBA’s Benny Andersson, who needs no introduction. His son Peter Grönvall represented Sweden 22 years after ABBA’s victory, performing as part of the group One More Time. They came 3rd behind the winners Ireland and hosts Norway.