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Corry Brokken | |
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 Brokken hosting theEurovision Song Contest in 1976 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cornelia Maria Brokken |
| Born | (1932-12-03)3 December 1932 Breda, Netherlands |
| Died | 31 May 2016(2016-05-31) (aged 83) Laren, Netherlands |
Cornelia Maria "Corry"Brokken (3 December 1932 – 31 May 2016)[1][2] was aDutch singer, television presenter andjurist. In 1957, she won the second edition of theEurovision Song Contest with the song "Net als toen", representing the Netherlands. Throughout her career, she scored a number of hits, sang in the popularSleeswijk Revue withSnip en Snap, and had her owntelevision show. She was also the presenter of theEurovision Song Contest 1976, which was held inThe Hague, Netherlands, following the victory ofTeach-In the year before. She ended her career as a singer in 1973 to study law, after which she became alawyer and ultimately ajudge.
In 1956, Brokken won theNationaal Songfestival 1956 with the song "Voorgoed voorbij", which gave her the right to represent the Netherlands inthe first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest alongside runner-upJetty Paerl. In 1957, she won theNationaal Songfestival for the second time in a row, and represented the Netherlands again in theEurovision Song Contest 1957. Her entry "Net als toen", written byWilly van Hemert and composed byGuus Jansen, received most points from the international juries and gave the Netherlands its first win in the competition. In 1958, Brokken won theNationaal Songfestival once again, this time with the song "Heel de wereld". In the international final, held inHilversum, Netherlands, her entry finished in last place with only one point. In the bookThe Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History,John Kennedy O'Connor notes that Corry is the only singer ever to have finished both first and last in the contest.[3]
Brokken was one of the most popular female singers in the Netherlands during the 1950s and 1960s, performing in theSleeswijk Revue alongsideSnip en Snap and scoring hits, some of which were translated chansons byCharles Aznavour.
In 1976, Brokken served as the presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest, and in 1997, she announced the results of the Dutch vote for that year's contest. By that time she was no longer active as a singer. She had ended her musical career in 1973 to study law, after which she became alawyer. She was later installed as ajudge in's-Hertogenbosch. In the 1990s she returned to the entertainment industry, performing on stage and recording a new album. She also wrote acolumn for the weekly women's magazineMargriet.[4]
Brokken died on 31 May 2016 at the age of 83.[5][6]
Brokken was married three times and has a daughter, Nancy Sleeswijk.
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| First | Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956,1957 and1958 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest presenter 1976 | Succeeded by |
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