#BIRTHDAY: 11 July – Grétar Örvarsson from Iceland is 67

Do you ever feel for those Eurovision performers that appear on stage but never get a personal credit? They could be a steadfast part of their country’s Eurovision scene, and keep coming back. But no-one knows their name.

In 1990, Iceland’s middling Eurovision fortunes got a bit of a boost when the duo Stjórnin represented them. Today’s birthday boy Grétar Örvarsson was the male half, along with his pal Sigga. They managed a respectable fourth place – a finish that wouldn’t be bettered for nine years. Grétar came back two years later as part of the band Heart 2 Heart. This time he was just a musician. Then in 2008, he came back again as a backing singer. Is that a slide further down the pecking order? Or was he an elder statesman by then? Anyway, his fourth place is no mean feat, so he’ll always have that story for his grandkids.

Authors: Riigi Ametnik, John Stanton

Source: OnEurope