Biography
Marie Bergman (born 21 November), 1950 in Stockholm) is a Swedish singer. Between 1969 and 1972, she was member in the pop group Family Four, which represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 and 1972. She started her solo career in 1974. She has during the years released 13 own-written records and 2 jazz albums and reiceved numerous awards. In 1994 she again represented Sweden at Eurovision, this time with Roger Pontare, setting a record as the singer who has represented Sweden at ESC the most times. This was equalled by Carola Häggkvist in 2006. She has performed at the Roskilde Festival four times.
Fred Roger Pontare, Swedish musician, born 17 October 1951 in Slagnäs, Arjeplog Municipality, and currently living in Örnsköldsvik.
He represented Sweden twice in the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1994 (duet with Marie Bergman) with "Stjärnorna" and in 2000 with "When Spirits Are Calling My Name", placing 13th and 7th, respectively.
Eurovision Song Contest 1994 - Dublin
Entry for Sweden
Performer: Marie Bergman and Roger Pontare
Song title: Stjärnorna
Song writer(s): Mikael Littwold
Song composer(s): Peter Bertilsson
Sang in Position: 1
Final Position: 13
Total Points: 48
For the second consecutive time, Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, this time in its capital Dublin. Due to the fact that so many countries wished to participate in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union decided to adopt a relegation system. For the 1994 contest, it would mean that the seven countries that finished at the bottom of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest were relegated and couldn't participate in the 1994 edition of the show. Instead, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia made their debut. However, Italy and Luxembourg withdrew voluntarily, so only the bottom five countries of the 1993 contest in Millstreet - Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Denmark and Belgium - were relegated. That meant that the total amount of participating countries was 25, just as in the preceding year.
Poland's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest was very successful when their representative Edyta Gorniak came in second with 166 points. However, the Polish song was almost disqualified as Edyta sang her song To Nie Ja! half in English in one of the dress rehearsal which violated the rule that every entry had to be sung in the native language. Nevertheless, even the talented Gorniak wasn't even near to this year's winner, which once again, was Ireland.
Never before in the history of the song contest, a country had won three times in a row. The Irish entrants Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan sang Rock 'n Roll Kids, which in the end was 60 points ahead of the runner-up and was the highest score ever at a Eurovision Song Contest to date. This overwhelming victory for Ireland would not be the last in this century, as just two years later in 1996, Ireland would win again.
The biggest commercial success of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest was none of the songs though, but the interval act Riverdance. The Irish danc sensation went on to be a world famous stage show, which would be seen by millions of people all around the world.
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