Ann Christy (singer)
Encyclopedia
Ann Christy was a Belgian
singer who enjoyed success in her native country and is best known internationally for her participation in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest
.
with Salvatore Adamo
. In 1968 she won the Knokke Cup singing contest.
, when each of five chosen acts performed two songs, ended in third place for "Bye Bye". (Christy's other song, "Meeuwen" ("Seagulls"), was unplaced).
Christy was finally successful in 1975
, when "Gelukkig zijn
" ("Being Happy") was chosen as Belgium's representative in the twentieth Eurovision Song Contest
which took place on 22 March in Stockholm
. Christy sung the first half of the song in Dutch and the second half in English, and although the song had been tipped to do well, it ended the evening in a very disappointing 15th place out of 19 entries.
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
in the town of Mechelen
.
She had a major hit in Belgium in 1980 with "De Roos", a Dutch language
version of Bette Midler
's "The Rose
". In 2008 this track topped a list of 1,000 classics voted for by the general public in a poll for Belgian radio channel, Radio 2
.
Compilations of Christy's work have been issued regularly in Belgium since her death, and recently these have included previously unreleased recordings.
in 1982, and died on 7 August 1984, aged 38.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
singer who enjoyed success in her native country and is best known internationally for her participation in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Early career
Christy egan a singing career with The Adams Orchestra, whose drummer, Marc Hoyois, she later married. Her first solo recordings met with little success. During this period she toured in Belgium and FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with Salvatore Adamo
Salvatore Adamo
Salvatore, Knight Adamo, simply known as Adamo is a Belgian – Italian composer and singer of ballads, mainly in French, but also in other languages such as German, Italian and Spanish. He had commercial success during the 1960s and 1970s, mostly in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, but...
. In 1968 she won the Knokke Cup singing contest.
Eurovision Song Contest
Christy's first attempt to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest came in 1970 with the song "Le temps, le vent" ("Time, Wind") which failed to progress past the semi-final stage. She did better the following year, when "Dag vreemde man" ("Hello Stranger") finished in second place. A third attempt in 1973Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973
Belgium was represented by Nicole & Hugo, with the song '"Baby, Baby", at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Luxembourg City on 7 April. "Baby, Baby" was the winner of the Belgian national final for the contest, held at the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels on 25 February...
, when each of five chosen acts performed two songs, ended in third place for "Bye Bye". (Christy's other song, "Meeuwen" ("Seagulls"), was unplaced).
Christy was finally successful in 1975
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975
Belgium was represented by Ann Christy, with the song '"Gelukkig zijn", at the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 22 March in Stockholm. Christy was the winner of the Belgian national final for the contest, held on 1 March; she had previously taken part in the Belgian preselections...
, when "Gelukkig zijn
Gelukkig Zijn
"Gelukkig zijn" was the Belgian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, performed in Dutch and English by Ann Christy...
" ("Being Happy") was chosen as Belgium's representative in the twentieth Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1975
The Eurovision Song Contest 1975 was the 20th edition of the contest hosted by SR and held in Stockholm, Sweden. The arena for the event was the newly built Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö in southern Stockholm. ABBA's victory in Brighton the previous year gave Sweden the right to host the...
which took place on 22 March in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Christy sung the first half of the song in Dutch and the second half in English, and although the song had been tipped to do well, it ended the evening in a very disappointing 15th place out of 19 entries.
Later career
In 1977 Christy played in 152 performances of a musical adaptation of ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
in the town of Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
.
She had a major hit in Belgium in 1980 with "De Roos", a Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
version of Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
's "The Rose
The Rose (song)
"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler, who performed it in the 1979 movie, The Rose. Since then it has been covered by a variety of artists.-Bette Midler version:...
". In 2008 this track topped a list of 1,000 classics voted for by the general public in a poll for Belgian radio channel, Radio 2
Radio 2 (Belgium)
Radio 2 is a Belgian radio channel operated by the Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep .In contrast to the more formal VRT Radio 1, Radio 2 features a more populist schedule aimed at a general family audience and is currently one of the most popular radio stations in...
.
Compilations of Christy's work have been issued regularly in Belgium since her death, and recently these have included previously unreleased recordings.
Death
Christy was diagnosed with cervical cancerCervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
in 1982, and died on 7 August 1984, aged 38.