Seán Patrick Michael Sherrard (born 13 May 1954), known professionally as Johnny Logan, is an Irish singer and musician. He is best known for being the first performer to win the Eurovision Song Contest as a lead singer twice.
Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 with the song "What's Another Year", which topped the charts in eight countries. He won for a second time in 1987 with "Hold Me Now", which topped the charts in Israel, Ireland and Belgium and was a top ten hit in ten other music markets. For 36 years he was the sole artist to have won the contest twice, until Loreen's second victory in 2023.
Logan has also composed two Eurovision songs for Linda Martin, "Terminal 3" in 1984 and "Why Me?" in 1992. The former placed second, while the latter came first; Logan is therefore one of only five people to have composed two winning Eurovision entries.
Early life
Johnny Logan was born Seán Patrick Michael Sherrard on 13 May 1954 in Frankston, Victoria. His father, Charles Alphonsus Sherrard, was a Derry-born Irish tenor better known as Patrick O'Hagan, and happened to be touring Australia at the time of Logan's birth. The family moved back to Ireland when Logan was three years old. He learnt the guitar and began composing his own songs by the age of 13. On leaving school, he apprenticed as an electrician while performing in pubs and cabaret acts. His earliest claim to fame was starring as Adam in the 1977 Irish musical Adam and Eve, and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Career
1978–1986: First Eurovision win
Logan adopted the stage name Johnny Logan after the main character of the film Johnny Guitar and released his first single in 1978. He first attempted to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979, when he placed third in the Irish National Final with the song "Angie". Readers of The Connaught Telegraph in Ireland voted Logan as Best New Male Artist.
In 1980, Logan again entered the Irish National selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the Shay Healy song "What's Another Year", winning the Irish final on 9 March in Dublin. Representing Ireland in the Netherlands, Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest on 19 April. The song became a hit all over Europe and reached number one in the UK.
"In London" was released in June and "Save Me" shortly after. With confusion by radio stations over which to play, both singles flopped. Another single released in late 1980, a cover of a recent Cliff Richard song, "Give A Little Bit More" was a more concerted effort and although it narrowly missed the chart. Logan blames his lack of success in the UK on poor management and his inexperience.
In early 1983, Logan attempted a comeback in the UK with the song "Becoming Electric" with a new sound and image and promotional push, but the song failed to chart. In 1985, Logan released his third studio album Straight From The Heart which failed to chart. He also collaborated on the chart topping charity single "You'll Never Walk Alone" in aid of the Bradford City Disaster Fund. In 1986, Logan rebranded himself as Logan with the song "Stab in the Back", which also failed to chart.
1987–1991: Second Eurovision win
In 1987, Logan made another attempt at Eurovision and with his self-penned song, "Hold Me Now", he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgium. The song won the contest and Logan became the first person to win the contest twice. "Hold Me Now" became a major European hit and reached number two in the UK. Logan released a cover of the 10cc song "I'm Not in Love", produced by Paul Hardcastle as a follow-up, and an album Hold Me Now. In 1988, Logan released "Heartland" which became a hit in the Irish charts and from then on, concentrated on his career in Ireland and Europe.
In 1990, Logan recorded a country version of "Miss You Nights" with Elvis Presley's backing band The Jordanaires. He also wrote and sung the theme song Angels Don't Hide for the German television show Blue Blood.
1992–2000: Third Eurovision win
Having composed the Irish Eurovision Song Contest 1984 entry for Linda Martin, "Terminal 3" (which finished in second place), Logan repeated the collaboration in 1992 when he gave Martin another of his songs, "Why Me". The song became the Irish entry at the finals in Sweden. The song took the title and cemented Logan as the most successful artist in Eurovision history with three wins.