SANDIE Shaw shot to fame with her winning Eurovision belter Puppet On A String – but she ended up losing everything.
The UK pop star became a national treasure when she was crowned victorious in the 1967 competition.
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She did Dagenham proud, amassing 47 votes for Britain with her smashing entry.
Sandie sung her heart out barefoot on the Vienna stage, which later became a staple look during her performances.
The singer, whose real name is Sandra Ann Goodrich, was recognised as one of the biggest British female singers of the time.
She had already earned herself a spot at number one in the UK charts in 1961.
During her impressive career, Sandie bagged three number one songs with There’s Always Something There to Remind Me in 1964 and Long Live Love the following year.
But, the iconic pop star tragically saw her success take a nosedive, along with her marriage in 1968.
Her relationship with ex-husband Jeff Banks broke down, and she was left with little money.
The singer and her daughter Gracie were forced to live in a caravan after Jeff had flushed all their money down the drain in his bid to become a fashion designer.
In 1982, Sandie re-married, and tied the knot with psychiatrist Tony Bedford.
Two years later the resilient Eurovision winner released a cover of The Smiths Hand in Glove in 1984 which ranked within the UK top 30.
The singer and her second husband welcomed two children together before calling it quits on their 13 year partnership in 1995.
Sandie announced her official retirement from the music industry in 2013, and had been mainly working as a psychotherapist throughout the 90s.
She won an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2018 which was awarded by the then Prince Charles.
He asked her why it had taken so long to receive the gong, to which she said afterwards: “I told him the truth.
“The truth is that women in music haven’t tended to be honoured in the past, certainly not in the Sixties.
“He said he was glad I was here now. He was a bit stunned it had taken so long.”
UK Eurovision winners
THERE have been five winning British Eurovision entries since the competition began in 1956.
Sandi Shaw – Puppet on a String 1967
Lulu – Boom Bang-a-Bang 1969
Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me 1976
Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up 1981
Katrina and the Waves – Love Shine a Light 1997
When is Eurovision 2024?
Eurovision Song Contest final will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
This year Sweden will do the hosting honours after singer Loreen notched up her second Eurovision win with Tattoo in 2023.
The Swedes have chosen Malmo as the city to welcome acts and fans from across the globe, with the local arena being used as the venue.
In 2023, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Liverpool.
This was because Ukraine wasn’t able to host the famous song contest, after Kalush Orchestra won in 2022.
Thanks to Sam Ryder we finished second that year and therefore the hosting duties were down to the UK.
Everything you need to know about Eurovision
Here’s your complete guide to all things Eurovision:
- Who was Marcel Bezençon, when did he come up with the Eurovision Song Contest and what’s the EBU?
- How to host a Eurovision party – from drinking games to decorations and costumes
- How many times has the UK received ‘nil points’ at Eurovision and been bottom of the leaderboard?
- Why is Australia in Eurovision and what would happen if they won?
- How much is Graham Norton paid and what’s his net worth?
- Eurovision winners: where are they now? From working in Tesco to global stardom
- When has Eurovision not been hosted by the winning country?
- How do I vote in Eurovision and when will results be revealed?
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