Linda Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Martin
Martin in May 2013
Background information
Born	(1952-03-27) 27 March 1952 (age 73) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Genres	Pop, pop-rock, MOR
Years active	1969–present
Labels	CBS, Polydor, Rex, Spider, WEA

Linda Martin (born 27 March 1952) is a famous singer and TV presenter from Northern Ireland. She is best known for winning the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest. She sang the song "Why Me?" for Ireland. This win was the first of three wins in a row for Ireland, which was a record! Linda is also well-known in Ireland as a member of the band Chips.

Early Life and Family

Linda Martin was born in Belfast in 1952. Her family has roots from Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. Her father's family name was originally Martini. Her great-grandfather came from Italy to Dublin. Some of her mother's family came from Larkhall, Scotland.

Career Highlights

Singing with Chips

Linda started her music career in 1969 when she joined the band Chips in Omagh. They quickly became one of the most popular bands in Ireland. They had hit songs like "Love Matters," "Twice a Week," and "Goodbye Goodbye" in the 1970s.

In 1972, Linda left Chips for a short time to sing with a new group called Lyttle People. But she rejoined Chips the next year. The band appeared on British TV shows to promote their songs. Chips also tried many times to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. They had another Irish hit in 1982 with "David's Song (Who'll Come With Me)". After this, Linda left the band to focus on her solo career.

Eurovision Success

Linda Martin tried to get to Eurovision many times. She entered the Irish National finals four times with Chips. She also entered four times as a solo singer and once with a group called 'Linda Martin and Friends'. She has entered the contest more than anyone else!

She won the Irish contest twice, which meant she got to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest twice.

Her first win was in 1984 with the song "Terminal 3." This song was written by Johnny Logan. She came in second place at Eurovision that year, losing by only eight points. "Terminal 3" became a top 10 hit in Ireland.

Her second win was in 1992 with the song "Why Me?". This song was also written by Johnny Logan. She won the final in Sweden! This was Ireland's fourth win at Eurovision. "Why Me?" became a number one hit in Ireland and was popular in many other European countries.

Linda Martin was one of only a few singers to finish both first and second at Eurovision.

Television Appearances

Linda Martin has also been on many TV shows. She was a host on the Irish TV quiz show The Lyrics Board. She also worked behind the scenes with Louis Walsh on the first season of the British show The X Factor.

She was a judge on the Irish TV show You're a Star for several seasons. This show looked for new singing talent. Linda also appeared at Congratulations, a special concert in Denmark in 2005 to celebrate 50 years of Eurovision. She was also the person who announced Ireland's votes for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. In 2012, she helped the group Jedward for the Irish Eurovision final.

During Eurovision 2013, the host made a joke about Johnny Logan winning three times, saying he won the third time disguised as a woman, referring to Linda. Linda later said that the joke actually gave her a lot of good attention!

Theatre Roles

Linda Martin has also acted in plays, especially pantomimes in Dublin. She played the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella. She was the Evil Queen in Snow White. She also played herself in Robin Hood at the Olympia Theatre.

Selected Songs

Songs with Chips

Solo Songs