Lys Assia
Lys Assia (born Rosa Mina Schärer; 3 March 1924– 24 March 2018) was a Swiss singer. Assia is best known for being the first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. She has represented Switzerland in Eurovision three times.
Lys Assia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lys Assia (1957) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rosa Mina Schärer |
| Born | 3 March 1924 |
| Origin | Aargau, Switzerland |
| Died | 24 March 2018 (aged 94) Zürich, Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1942–2018 |
Life
Rosa Mina Schärer was born on March 3 1924 in Rupperswil, Aargau, Switzerland.
When Assia was a young girl she was a dancer. In 1940, however, she stood in for a female singer.
Lys Assia married Johann Heinrich Kunz on 11 January 1957 in Zürich. Kunz died just nine months later due to illness. In 1963, she married Danish businessman Oscar Pedersen, who died in 1995.
Assia died on 24 March 2018 at Zurich's Zollikerberg Hospital.[1]
Eurovision Song Contest
Representing Switzerland, Assia won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956with the song "Refrain".[2] She returned to the Contest in both 1957 and 1958, finishing 8th in 1957 and was the runner-up in 1958.
In 2005, Lys Assia took part in a celebration of Eurovision's 50-year anniversary. In 2009, she presented the trophy to that year's winner, Alexander Rybak.
Assia tried to represent Switzerland at Eurovision once again in both 2012 and 2013, but was unsuccessful both times. However, she attended the 2012 Contest as a special guest.
In 2015, at age 91, Assia attended Eurovision's 60th anniversary celebration. This was her last public appearance.
Lys Assia Media
Lys Assia, the first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, attended the annual meeting of Melodifestivalklubben in Sweden in 2012.
References
- ↑ "Lys Assia ist tot - NZZ". 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018 – via NZZ.
- ↑ "First Eurovision winner Lys Assia submitted a song in the Swiss selection". Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
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Other websites
Media related to Lys Assia at Wikimedia Commons
- Official homepage Archived 2002-03-14 at the Wayback Machine