Born in the USA: These American singers have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest

The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland this week with acts from 37 countries taking part - including the return of Montenegro after a two-year absence.

Non-binary multi-instrumentalist Nemo, representing Switzerland won last year’s event with The Code.

We have seen several non-European participants over the years - Eurovision is open to all public service broadcasters as long as they are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - or have been specially invited as guests, which is the case of Australia who have taken part in every edition since 2015.

A number of American artists have been involved - usually representing the countries where they have been living as residents.

The first American to participate in Eurovision

The first American to perform at Eurovision was Wesley Johnson known by his stage name Wess. Born in North Carolina, Wess moved to Italy in the 60s with his soul band The Airedales. He represented Italy with Dori Ghezzi at the the 20th edition held in Stockholm in 1975. The duo performed Era, which received 115 points, finishing 3rd behind the Netherlands (“Ding-a-dong” by winners, Teach-In) and the United Kingdom (“Let Me Be the One” by the Shadows).

Los Angeles-born Romina Power was the next American to appear at Eurovision, also as part of a duo and also representing Italy. She joined up with her husband Al Bano to sing We’ll Live It All Again at the 1976 edition. The couple ended seventh with a total of 69 points.

Romina and Al repeated the feat nine years later finishing seventh once again, this time singing, Magic, Oh Magic. Romina is one of 120 artists to have taken part in two different editions of the contest but the only American to have appeared twice.

Born in New York, András Kállay-Saunders is the son of Lou Reed’s old bass player Fernando Saunders. He is half Hungarian through his mother Katalin and regularly visited the country before moving there permanently in his 20s.

At the 2014 contest held in Copenhagen, his entry: Running gained 127 points to finish third - Hungary’s second-best finish at Eurovision.

Kalomira, born Maria Kalomira Sarantis in New York to Greek parents, represented Greece at the 2008 contest. Her song Secret Combination won the first semifinal polling 156 points but was just pipped to the number one spot by Russia, scoring 218 points in the grand final to finish third.

Who is the only American artist to win Eurovision?

Only one American artist has won Eurovision - a singer who is very well known in the UK. Katrina Leskanich fronted Katrina and the Waves during the 80s and 90s. The band’s who biggest hit, Walking on Sunshine, reached No.8 in the UK and No.3 in Canada when it was re-released in 1984.

Born in Topeka, Kansas to a military family, the Leskanichs moved to England, where her father was stationed, in 1976. Katrina’s musical career got up and running in 1978 with a covers band Mama’s Cookin’ before she was drafted into the Waves by guitarist-songwriter Kimberley Rew in 1981.

Katrina and the Waves performed the UK entry, Love Shine a Light, at the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. It scored 227 points - 70 more than “Mysterious Woman” sung by Marc Roberts representing tghe hosts.

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