1968

Guy Bonnet passed away

Yesterday, 8 January 2024, Guy Bonnet sadly passed away. Bonnet participated in the Eurovision Song Contest three times: in 1968 as a composer, in 1970 and 1983 as a singer. Born on 8 August 1945, in Avignon, France, Bonnet’s passion for music manifested early in his life. He pursued his love for music with zeal, studying at the Conservatoire in Avignon and later at the Conservatoire in Marseille. Bonnet’s career took a significant turn when he represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest. His first appearance was in 1968 as a composer for Isabelle Aubret’s entry, “La Source.” However, it was his own performance in 1970 with the song “Marie-Blanche” that truly marked his arrival on the international music scene. He graced the Eurovision stage again in 1983 with “Vivre,” showcasing his versatile musical talent. Beyond Eurovision, Bonnet was known for his profound contributions to French chanson, a genre he enriched with his poetic lyrics and melodic compositions. His works often reflected his deep connection to his Provençal roots, blending traditional sounds with contemporary influences. Throughout his career, Bonnet collaborated with numerous artists like Mireille Mathieu, Sylvie Vartan, Franck Fernandel and the Massilia Sound System. He was not just a performer but an educator, passionately involved in fostering musical talent in younger generations. 1968: La Source, sung by Isabelle Aubret 1970: Marie-Blanche 1983: Vivre

Claes-Göran Hederstrom passed away

Today, the sad news reached us that Claes-Göran Hederström died last night. Hederström is best known for his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968. His song with the particularly long title “Det börjar verka kärlek banne mej” reached fifth place. Hederström was discovered in 1967 by conductor Mats Olsson. A year later he won Melodifestivalen and therefore participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. It became a number 1 hit in Sweden. A greater success than “Det börjar verka kärlek….” would not come. In 1968 he collaborated with many other Swedish artists. Together with Nina Fizell he scored another hit, “Flickan i fönstret mitt emot”, and in 1972 he had a solo hit, “Här ute på landet”. Claes-Göran Hederström made another attempt to enter the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973, but his “Historien om en vän” became eighth out of ten. Claes-Göran Hederström died last night at the age of 77 years.

R.I.P. Claude Lombard

Today, the sad news came to us that Claude Lombard passed away on Monday, september 20th 2021. Claude Lombard represented Belgium in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Quand tu reviendras”. She reached a wonderful 7th place. Claude Lombard was the daughter of Claude Alix, who wrote the 1956 Belgian entry “Le plus beau jour de ma vie”. Lombard was born the 25th of february 1945 in Etterbeek, in the Brussels region. Lombard was quite unkown when she won the Belgian preselection for Eurovision in 1968. The song was sung in French, but a Dutch version, “Eenmaal kom je weer” was also released. Lombard returned to Eurovision in 1973 as a backing vocal, supporting Nicole & Hugo in their song “Baby baby”. She moved to Paris where she wrote the lyrics for a musical. She gave her voice to many cartoons like “Fraggle rock” and the Disney movie “Beauty and the beast”. One of the hightlights in her career was singing as a backing vocal with Charles Aznavour in the eighties. In the nineties she sang with the Pat Benesta Orchestra. Claude Lombard did not disappear from stage. Even last week, she gave a performance in Paris. Lombard was 76 years old. photo credits: Facebook