Geraldine Brannigan facts for kids

Geraldine Brannigan (born in 1954), also known as Géraldine, is a talented singer from Ireland. She is famous for representing Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with her song "Toi". She finished in fifth place in the competition.

Geraldine's Music Journey

Early Days with Bands

Geraldine started her music career performing with her band, Geraldine & the Brannigans. They were part of the lively Irish showband scene. In 1973, her band competed in the Irish try-outs for the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song was called Fadó Fadó (which means "Long, Long Ago"), and they came in fourth place.

In 1978, Geraldine, performing as Geraldine & Pickles, represented Ireland at the Yamaha Music Festival in Tokyo. She sang a song called Say It With Music.

TV Appearances and Songs

Geraldine performed her song "Casablanca" on the Benny Hill Show in March 1979. Another song, "Back Street Band," was featured on a TV show called Juke Box Jury in June 1979. Even with these TV appearances, her songs did not become big hits in the UK.

In 1981, she released an album as The GB Band. Her future husband, Phil Coulter, helped write some of the songs on this album. She also toured South Africa in 1982 with guitarist Tony Cox.

Eurovision Success

In 1975, the TV station RTL asked Geraldine to sing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest was held in Stockholm that year. Her song, "Toi", was written by Irish singer-songwriter Phil Coulter, Scottish producer Bill Martin, and French songwriter Pierre Cour.

Phil Coulter also led the orchestra for her song. Geraldine's performance was a success, and she finished in fifth place. It's interesting to know that all three songwriters had written winning songs for Eurovision in earlier years.

Personal Life

In November 1998, Geraldine Brannigan married her long-time partner, Phil Coulter. They had a small ceremony in Wicklow, Ireland. Their six children, Danielle, Dominique, Alexandra, Daragh, Ryan, and Georgina, were there to witness their special day, along with 16 other guests.

Phil Coulter first noticed Geraldine in a TV advertisement for Guinness in Dublin. He felt he had to meet her. He later shared in an interview that it was "love at first sight" when they met.