Elena Paparizou

Elena Paparizou (Έλενα Παπαρίζου in Greek characters), born on 31st January 1982, in Örgryte, Gothenburg, Sweden, is a popular Greek singer, best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 for Greece, with the song "My Number One". Paparizou, determined to succeed and fulfill her dreams of being an entertainer, joined her childhood friend and fellow Swede-Greek Nikos Panagiotidis, at the age of seventeen, to form the band Antique. The duo quickly signed their first record label contract, with the Swedish record label Bonnier. In 2001, they represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest, in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the song “(I would) Die for you”, and came 3rd in the final. This was a historical day in Greece, since this was the country's best placing ever in the contest. The single went triple platinum in Greece, which was a rare achievement for a CD-single, and Antique were rewarded for that success. Despite the group's success, Antique broke up in 2003 on good terms, as the band had "run its natural course," and Paparizou set about going solo. She signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music, and, in December 2003, released her first solo single, "Anapantites klisis" (later released in English as "Don't Want you here anymore"). The single sales were strong, and it received a gold certification in Greece. Because of her popularity in Greece, where she ended up spending more and more time, Paparizou was offered to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, in Kiev, Ukraine. She performed "My Number One", "Let's Get Wild" and "OK" in the Greek national final, with "My Number One"' winning the televote (there was also the song called "The Light in our Soul", but it was later disqualified due to being released prior to the contest, thus breaking the rules). She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 and brought the contest to Greece for the first time in the contest's history. She has released 5 solo albums: "Protereotita" (2004), "Iparhi logos" (2006), "The Game of Love (2006)", "Vrisko to logo na zo (2008)" and "Giro apo t'oneiro" (2010).