Johnny Logan (singer)

Johnny Logan
Logan performing in Vienna in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Seán Patrick Michael Sherrard
Also known as	"Mr Eurovision"
Born	(1954-05-13) 13 May 1954 Frankston, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1978–present
Website	http://www.johnnylogan.com

Johnny Logan (born 13 May 1954) is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is known as being the only performer to have won the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1980 and 1987. He also composed the winning song in 1992.^[1][2]

Logan first won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, with the song "What's Another Year" written by Shay Healy. In 1984, Logan composed the song "Terminal 3" which placed second at Eurovision, performed by Linda Martin.^[3] He won the contest for a second time in 1987 with "Hold Me Now", which he also wrote himself. His third win came in 1992, as composer of Linda Martin's winning entry "Why Me?".

Early life and career

Johnny Logan was born Seán Patrick Michael Sherrard in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. Logan's father was an Irish tenor, known as Patrick O'Hagan, who performed for three different US presidents at the White House: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. The family moved back to Ireland when Logan was three years old. He learnt the guitar and began composing his own songs by the age of thirteen. On leaving school he apprenticed as an electrician, while performing in folk and blues clubs. His earliest claim to fame was starring as "Adam" in the 1977 Irish musical Adam and Eve.^[4]

He adopted the stage name Johnny Logan for the main character of the film Johnny Guitar. He released his first single in 1978. He first attempted to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979, when he placed third in the Irish National Final with the song "Angie".^[5][6]

First Eurovision win

Johnny Logan at the Eurovision Song Contest 1980

In 1980, Logan again entered the Irish National selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the Shay Healy song "What's Another Year", winning the Irish final on 9 March in Dublin.^[7] Representing Ireland in the Netherlands, Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest on 19 April.^[8] The song became a hit all over Europe and reached number one in the UK.^[9]

Owing to a mix-up, two follow-up singles were released almost simultaneously; "Save Me" and "In London". With confusion by radio stations over which to play, both singles flopped. Another single released in late 1980, a cover of a recent Cliff Richard song, "Give A Little Bit More" was a more concerted effort and although it narrowly missed the chart, the momentum from Eurovision was now lost. Logan blames his lack of success in the UK on poor management and his inexperience.^[10]

In early 1983, Logan attempted a comeback in the UK with the song "Becoming Electric" with a new sound and image and promotional push, but was unsuccessful and again in 1986 when he rebranded himself Logan with the song "Stab in the Back". Logan was actually classed as a One-hit Wonder with "What's Another Year" in the UK until his second Eurovision winning song was released, seven years later.

Second Eurovision win

In 1987, he decided to make another attempt at Eurovision and with his self-penned song, "Hold Me Now", he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgium. The song won the contest and again, Logan had a major European hit with the song and reached number two in the UK (although it outsold "What's Another Year").^[11][12] Keen to continue this success, Logan released a cover of the 10cc song "I'm Not in Love", produced by Paul Hardcastle as a follow-up, and an album. The single made the UK charts but was not significant enough to sustain a continued chart career.^[13]

The following year, Logan released his next single, "Heartland" which became a hit in the Irish charts and from then on, concentrated on his career in Ireland and Europe.^[14]

Third Eurovision win

Having composed the Irish Eurovision Song Contest 1984 entry for Linda Martin, "Terminal 3" (which finished in second place), Logan repeated the collaboration in 1992 when he gave Martin another of his songs, "Why Me". The song became the Irish entry at the finals in Sweden. The song took the title and cemented Logan as the most successful artist in Eurovision history with three wins.^[2]

Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor notes in his book The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History that Logan is the only lead singer to have sung two winning entries and one of only five authors/composers (all men) to have written/composed two winning songs.^[15]

Recent career

Logan continues to perform and write songs. He is sometimes referred to as "Mister Eurovision" by fans of the contest and the media at large.^[1] Throughout his career, which spans four decades, Logan has released no less than 40 singles and 19 albums. He has continued his love of participating in musical theatre, having toured Norway with Which Witch, an opera-musical originating in that country.

In October 2005, "Hold Me Now" was voted as the third most popular song in Eurovision history at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark. "What's Another Year" was also nominated amongst the 14 finalists. Logan has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. "Hold Me Now" is also a global million-seller.

In 2009 and 2010, he performed in the Celtic rock opera Excalibur, and continued to do so in 2011.

Logan was one of the recording artists that appeared in the Irish TV seriesThe Hit going against Duke Special. He shortlisted the song "Prayin" by Alan Earls and Jamie Wilson's "Rain" from the pitching rooms. He chose to release "Prayin" for the chart battle against Special who chose a song called "1969" by Aaron Hackett. Logan won the chart battle with his song charting at number three in the charts while Special's charted at number five. Logan returned for the final where he performed "Prayin" with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and was runner-up to Finbar Furey.

In popular culture

In 2002, he took part in the UK television quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks as a team panelist in a Eurovision-special.^[16]

"Hold Me Now" has been adopted by fans of Bohemian F.C. (Bohemians) as their anthem and it is sung primarily at away games.

In 2007, Logan advertised McDonald's Eurosaver menu in Ireland. In 2007, he sang "A State of Happiness", advertising the Dutch Center Parcs.

In 2011, Logan received some publicity over comments perceived as an attack on Jedward, that year's Irish Eurovision entry. When the identical twins appeared on The Late Late Show, presenter Ryan Tubridy asked them how they felt about Logan calling them "an embarrassment to Ireland". Logan later clarified those comments: "What I said was that I find them embarrassing to watch. It's like watching two Frank Spencers in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. It's like watching a train crash – you can't look away, but at the same time you don't want to see it".^[17] He subsequently refused an interview with RTÉ broadcaster Derek Mooney as, according to Mooney, "he thought we were going to stitch him up". Logan gave an interview to Today FM broadcaster Ray D'Arcy instead.^[18]

On 16 December 2012, Logan appeared as musical guest on Romanian edition of X Factor.^[19]

In May 2012, Anmary, the Latvian representative to 2012 Eurovision Song Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan sang "Beautiful Song" where in the opening lrics, she sings: "I was born in distant 1980 / The year that Irish Johnny Logan won / Thirty years or more, they still remember / So dream away, today's the day I'm singing my song" referring to Logan's 1980 Eurovision win "What's Another Year".

Personal life

Logan lives in Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland with his wife, Ailis and their three children, Adam, Fionn and Jack.^[20] He rarely gives media interviews due to what he claims have been frequent misquotes.^[17]

Selected discography

Albums

Singles (Ireland and UK)

(Source for UK and Irish chart positions ^[24])

For a more comprehensive list of all European single releases see discography here .

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Johnny Logan.

• – Official site

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Gali Atari and Milk and Honey with "Hallelujah"	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1980	Succeeded by Bucks Fizz with "Making Your Mind Up"
Preceded by Sandra Kim with "J'aime la vie"	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1987	Succeeded by Céline Dion with "Ne partez pas sans moi"
Preceded by Cathal Dunne with "Happy Man"	Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980	Succeeded by Sheeba with "Horoscopes"
Preceded by Luv Bug with "You Can Count on Me"	Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987	Succeeded by Jump The Gun with "Take Him Home"

Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participation 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Artists 1960s 1960 to 1964 Butch Moore Dickie Rock Sean Dunphy Pat McGeegan Muriel Day 1970s Dana Angela Farrell Sandie Jones Maxi Tina Reynolds The Swarbriggs Red Hurley The Swarbriggs Plus Two Colm 'C.T.' Wilkinson Cathal Dunne 1980s Johnny Logan Sheeba The Duskeys 1983 Linda Martin Maria Christian Luv Bug Johnny Logan Jump the Gun Kiev Connolly & The Missing Passengers 1990s Liam Reilly Kim Jackson Linda Martin Niamh Kavanagh Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan Eddie Friel Eimear Quinn Marc Roberts Dawn Martin The Mullans 2000s Eamonn Toal Gary O'Shaughnessy 2002 Mickey Harte Chris Doran Donna and Joe Brian Kennedy Dervish Dustin the Turkey Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy 2010s Niamh Kavanagh Jedward Ryan Dolan Can-linn feat. Kasey Smith Molly Sterling Nicky Byrne
Songs 1960s 1960 to 1964 "Walking the Streets in the Rain" "Come Back to Stay" "If I Could Choose" "Chance of a Lifetime" "The Wages of Love" 1970s "All Kinds of Everything" "One Day Love" "Ceol an Ghrá" "Do I Dream" "Cross Your Heart" "That's What Friends Are For" "When" "It's Nice To Be In Love Again" "Born to Sing" "Happy Man" 1980s "What's Another Year?" "Horoscopes" "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" 1983 "Terminal 3" "Wait Until the Weekend Comes" "You Can Count On Me" "Hold Me Now" "Take Him Home" "The Real Me" 1990s "Somewhere In Europe" "Could It Be That I'm In Love" "Why Me?" "In Your Eyes" "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" "Dreamin'" "The Voice" "Mysterious Woman" "Is Always Over Now?" "When You Need Me" 2000s "Millennium of Love" "Without Your Love" 2002 "We've Got the World" "If My World Stopped Turning" "Love?" "Every Song Is a Cry for Love" "They Can't Stop the Spring" "Irelande Douze Pointe" "Et Cetera" 2010s "It's for You" "Lipstick" "Waterline" "Only Love Survives" "Heartbeat" "Playing with Numbers" "Sunlight"
(Note: Entries scored out are when Ireland did not compete)