Dave Benton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Benton
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Dave Benton in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Efrén Eugene Benita |
| Born | 31 January 1951 Oranjestad, Aruba |
| Genres | Pop |
Dave Benton, whose real name is Efrén Eugene Benita, is a talented pop musician. He was born on January 31, 1951, in Aruba, a Caribbean island. He later became an Estonian citizen. Dave Benton is famous for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. He won with Tanel Padar and a group called 2XL. Their winning song was "Everybody". When he won, Dave Benton was 50 years old. This made him the oldest singer to ever win the contest!
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Dave Benton's Early Life and Music Journey
Dave Benton was born in 1951 on the sunny Caribbean island of Aruba. He went to school there and learned many languages. He could speak English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento. Papiamento is a special language spoken on the island.
When he was in his 20s, Dave moved to the United States. He worked as a drummer and a singer for other artists. He performed with famous musicians like Tom Jones and Billy Ocean. He also worked with groups such as The Drifters and The Platters.
Moving to Estonia
In the 1980s, Dave Benton was living in the Netherlands. He met his future wife, Maris, on a cruise ship. Maris was from Estonia. In 1997, Dave and Maris moved to Estonia. They have two daughters together.
Dave has had a very busy music career in many countries in Northern Europe. He is amazing at languages! He can speak eight different languages. These include English, Spanish, Papiamento, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, and Estonian. He even performed in a musical show in Germany called City Lights.
Dave has released many music albums. One of his albums is even in his native language, Papiamento. He is mostly known for his live performances.
Winning the Eurovision Song Contest
On February 3, 2001, Dave Benton took part in a music competition in Estonia. It was called Eurolaul 2001. This show chose who would represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest. Dave performed with a rock singer named Tanel Padar and a boyband called 2XL.
Their song was "Everybody". They won the competition! This meant they would go to Copenhagen to represent Estonia in Eurovision.
Eurovision Victory
On May 12, 2001, Dave Benton, Tanel Padar, and 2XL competed in the Eurovision Song Contest. They won the entire contest! They received 198 points. Dave Benton was 50 years and 101 days old on the day they won. This made him the oldest singer to ever win the Eurovision Song Contest. It was a huge moment for Estonia and for Dave!
Following in His Footsteps
In 2021, Dave Benton's daughter, Sissi, also tried to represent Estonia in Eurovision. She competed in Eesti Laul 2021 with her song "Time". Sissi made it to the superfinal and placed second. She almost followed in her father's winning footsteps!
Fun Facts About Dave Benton
- Dave Benton won the Eurovision Song Contest for Estonia even before he had learned to speak Estonian fluently!
- In 2010, Dave Benton was a celebrity contestant on Tantsud tähtedega. This is an Estonian TV show, like Dancing with the Stars. He danced with a professional partner named Valeria Fetissova.
- Dave Benton is also a proud grandfather.
