Shmulik Bilu sadly passed away at 31 December 2023, at the age of 71 following a lengthy illness. He was a member of ‘Milk and Honey’, the group that famously represented Israel in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with their winning song ‘Hallelujah’.
In his early years, Bilu was part of the Armored Corps band and took part in the 1969 show ‘Just a Tanker’. He joined ‘Milk and Honey’ in 1979, a band formed specifically for the Song and Chorus Festival, where their rendition of ‘Hallelujah’, penned by Shimrit Orr and Kobi Oshrat, earned them first place. This victory came a year after Izhar Cohen’s success, ensuring their participation in the subsequent European competition. The group also included Yehuda Tamir, Reuven Gvirtz, and lead singer Gali Atari.
Bilu later shifted his focus to working in various productions.
