It’s that time of the year again, when we settle in for a night of cheesy pop and hope against all hope that the UK will finally triumph again at Eurovision.
Look Mum No Computer will be hoping to end 29 years of disappointment, but it was 57 years ago that Scottish singer Lulu triumphed at the music competition, winning with her song Boom Bang-a-Bang. The singer’s win was unusual in that she also shared the victory with three other acts, with all four performers receiving the same number of points.
Lulu burst onto the music scene in 1964 with a cover of the song Shout, with the number propelling her to nationwide fame. She later catapulted herself to worldwide acclaim by providing the theme song for the 1967 To Sir, with Love, in which she also starred in.
The 77-year-old has continued to have an active career, recording the theme song for the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, while also performing hits like The Boat That I Row, Independence and Relight My Fire, which she performed alongside Take That.
During her life, the singer has been married twice, firstly to music icon Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, and secondly to celebrity stylist John Frieda.
Scroll down for all you need to know about Lulu’s famous exes…
Maurice Gibb
Lulu’s first husband was Bee Gees singer Maurice Gibb, with the pair meeting while they were very young during an appearance on Top of the Pops in 1969. The couple quickly fell in love, and married just months later, although their honeymoon ended up being delayed due to Lulu’s Eurovision commitments.
Reflecting on their early days, Lulu recalled: “I thought Maurice was cute, so I said, ‘In that case, tell him to stop talking about me and take me out’. He did just that, I never expected much to come from this, but in fact our relationship grew, after a fashion. Going steady is quite the wrong way to describe what was happening between us.“
Their union was opposed by Maurice’s older brother, Barry, with Lulu and Maurice being 20 and 19 respectively at the time of their wedding, and the pair divorced six years later in 1975.
During an appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Lulu noted that their marriage was a mistake, explaining: “We thought we were king and queen of the world and were fabulous. The drinking was a part of it, but we shouldn’t have got married in the first place… we should have just had a romance.”
© Getty ImagesShe added: “I decided it had to end. He didn’t want it to end and it hurt him. I totally loved and adored him but… in love with him? I was probably in love with love.”
Despite their divorce, the couple still remained close friends until Maurice died at the age of 53 in 2003. After his death, Lulu said they were “the best of friends” and that she “adored” him.
John Frieda
Lulu’s second marriage was to the celebrity stylist John Frieda, with the pair marrying two years after her split from Maurice. At the time that they met, John was only an apprentice at a hair salon, but the pair quickly hit it off.
The singer confessed: “John came as a surprise to me because I wasn’t looking for him or anyone else. I was shattered after Maurice. I was nervous to take the plunge again.”
© WireImageTwo months after the pair married, the singer discovered that she was pregnant, and she later gave birth to their son, Jordan. Lulu and Jordan haven’t always had the easiest of relationships, but during an appearance on the Therapy Works podcast, she revealed: “He has forgiven me for all of the things… he’s so magnanimous but he’s also very intelligent, and kindness and intelligence, I think come together so he’s kind.”
The couple decided to call time on their relationship in 1992, something that the singer found quite difficult. “When my second marriage ended, it shocked my whole system,” she said. “I was lost. I had no idea what I was going to do.”
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