American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
Credit: © Tinseltown, Shutterstock

American actress, singer, and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has transformed from a Disney Channel star to a big name in pop music. Rodrigo first became known as an actress on television programs produced for the Disney Channel. Guts, Rodrigo’s second studio album, was released on Sep. 8, 2023. The album is full of emotional ballads and artful lyrics perfect for singing along.

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born on Feb. 20, 2003, in Temecula, California, southeast of Los Angeles. Rodrigo began taking voice, piano, and guitar lessons as a child. She acted in middle and high school performances and began acting professionally in 2016. She played a leading character, Paige Olvera, on the Disney TV series “Bizaardvark” (2016-2019).

In 2019, Rodrigo gained the lead role of Nini in “High School Musical: The Musical—The Series.” She wrote and performed original songs for the series, including “All I Want” (2019) and a duet with Joshua Bassett, “Just for a Moment” (2020).

She released her first single “Drivers License” on Jan. 8, 2021. It soon hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is now nominated at the 64th Grammy Awards for song of the year, record of the year, and best pop solo performance. Rodrigo is also nominated for best music video or film for “Good 4 U” (2021), best pop vocal album for Sour (2021), album of the year for Sour, and best new artist.

After “Drivers License,” her next two singles— “Deja Vu” (2021) and “Good 4 U”—also debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard “Hot 100″ chart. She became the first recording artist to start a career with three singles in the top 10. Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, included elements of pop, folk, and rock music.

Besides releasing catchy singles, Rodrigo also took a trip to the White House this summer. She met with President Joe Biden and the immunologist and Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, Anthony Fauci, to discuss the importance of young people getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In December, Rodrigo was named Entertainer of the Year by Time magazine. She announced a world tour for 2022 in which she will travel to Europe, Canada, and across the United States.

Jenna Ortega attends the world premiere of “Scream VI” at AMC Lincoln Square Theater in New York on March 06, 2023.
Credit: © Lev Radin, Shutterstock

From starring in horror movies to television shows, Jenna Ortega is moody and talented! Ortega began her acting career as a child, appearing in minor motion picture and television roles before gaining popularity on the Disney Channel. She later transitioned into more adult television and theatrical roles. Ortega gained widespread attention in 2022 for her portrayal of the title character in the television series “Wednesday,” based on the Addams Family characters originally created by Charles Addams. Ortega opened a new chapter of fame through her dark, moody, and unique portrayal of Wednesday.

“Wednesday” is directed by American motion picture director Tim Burton, who brings a modern twist to “The Addams Family,” which originally aired in the 1960’s. Ortega’s character is expelled from school after releasing piranhas on the boy’s water polo practice in retaliation for the team bullying her brother. Wednesday’s parents enroll her in their alma mater Nevermore Academy, a school for kids just like Wednesday in rural Vermont. Some of the series was filmed in Transylvania, a region in Romania, which was the main site of the legend about the vampire Dracula. Spooky!

Jenna Marie Ortega was born Sept. 27, 2002, in Coachella Valley, California. Her acting career started when her mother posted a video of her on Facebook. The video soon led to minor and supporting roles in television and film. In 2014, she began to gain more attention through her roles in television, most notably programs on the Disney Channel and the CW Television Network.

From 2014 to 2019, she portrayed the young version of Jane in the CW television series “Jane the Virgin.” From 2016 to 2018, she starred in the Disney Channel television series “Stuck in the Middle.” In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix series “You.”

Since 2020, Ortega has also taken on leading roles in motion pictures, often in horror movies. She starred in The Fallout, Scream, and X (all 2022). In 2023, she starred in Scream VI, the sequel to Scream (2022). You will see Ortega more and more in new movies and television shows!

American entertainer RuPaul Andre Charles
Credit: © DFree/Shutterstock

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning pioneers in a variety of areas.

RuPaul is an American actor, author, and entertainer. RuPaul is best known as a drag queen (cross-dressing performer) and host of the reality competition television series “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which began in 2009.

RuPaul Andre Charles was born Nov. 17, 1960, in San Diego, California. As a teenager, RuPaul moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister. There, he first started performing in what he called “terror drag,” a style that incorporates combat boots, hairy legs, and unkempt wigs. He also started performing in a few different bands, including RuPaul and the U-Hauls and The Now Explosion. RuPaul made several low-budget motion pictures, including a blaxploitation film in which he played the lead character. Blaxploitation films, made popular in the 1970’s, feature Black characters and outrageous plots and action.

RuPaul moved to New York City in the late 1980’s. During that time, he adopted a more glamorous drag style with high heels, styled hair, and make-up. After a few years of performing in nightclubs and working as a reporter for a cable show, RuPaul found international fame with his 1993 pop song “Supermodel (You Better Work).” As an actor, RuPaul made cameo appearances in films like The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). On TV, he made cameo appearances on shows like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996-2003) and “Walker, Texas Ranger.” (1993-2001). Out of drag, he acted in the television movie A Mother’s Prayer (1995) and in the feature film …But I’m A Cheerleader (1999).

In 1995, RuPaul became a spokesmodel for MAC cosmetics and chaired the company’s charitable AIDS fund. He hosted his own talk show in 1996, “The RuPaul Show”, but it was canceled in 1998. In 2004, RuPaul released the album Red Hot, which was followed up with Champion in 2009. His later albums include Glamazon (2011), Born Naked (2014), Butch Queen (2016), and American (2017).

In 2009, RuPaul began hosting the reality competition show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Each season follows a group of drag queens as they compete to become “America’s next drag superstar.”  In each episode, contestants compete in various drag-related tasks—such as singing, dancing, sewing, and acting—and then show off different themed looks on a runway. After receiving critiques from RuPaul and a panel of judges, two contestants are selected to lip sync. Lip sync is a style of performance in which people move their lips in time to recorded music. The contestant who performs worse is eliminated from the competition. “Drag Race” has won more than 20 Emmy awards, including outstanding competition program and outstanding host for a reality or competition program for RuPaul.

“Drag Race” has been spun off into international versions, including series in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Thailand, Chile, and the Philippines. Drag queens in Australia and New Zealand compete on a combination show called “Drag Race Down Under.” The American original has a spin-off called “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars.” In this version, previously eliminated queens return to compete again.

In 2020, RuPaul created and starred in the Netflix show “AJ and The Queen,” a comedy about a down-on-her-luck drag queen traveling across the United States. The show ran for one season and featured many performers who had appeared on “Drag Race.”

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh attending a conference in Hollywood on Oct. 17, 2022.
Credit: © DFree/Shutterstock

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature AAPI pioneers in a variety of areas.

She is everything and everywhere! The Everything Everywhere All at Once star Michelle Yeoh is having a year. Yeoh is a Malaysian actress. Yeoh, trained as a dancer, is known for doing her own stunts in action and martial arts movies. In 2023, Yeoh won the Academy Award for best actress for her role in the science fiction comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

Yeoh Choo Kheng was born in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Aug. 6, 1962. She began ballet training as a young child. When Yeoh was 15, she moved to Chester, England, to train at the Hammond School of performing arts. Yeoh later attended the Royal Academy of Dance in London. She primarily studied ballet. After an injury, she retired from dance and began participating in beauty pageants. In 1983, Yeoh won the Miss Malaysia pageant and represented the country at the Miss World pageant.

Yeoh began acting in the 1980′s. She starred in Hong Kong martial arts movies produced by D&B Films, performing her own stunts. Her name was listed as Michelle Khan in the credits to appeal to Western audiences. Yeoh married Dickson Poon, head of the D&B studio, in 1988 and retired from acting.

After Yeoh and Poon divorced in the early 1990’s, Yeoh starred in the action movies Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992), The Heroic Trio (1993), Tai Chi Master (1993), and Wing Chun (1994). While filming The Stuntwoman (1996), Yeoh injured her back during a stunt. However, she continued acting and performing serious stunts.

In the late 1990’s, Yeoh retired the pseudonym (false name) Khan, performing as Michelle Yeoh thereafter. In 1997, Yeoh played the spy Wai Lin in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. That same year, she starred in the historical drama The Soong Sisters. In 2000, Yeoh appeared in the martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yeoh began making more English-language films, including Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Sunshine (2007), and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). In 2011, Yeoh starred in The Lady, a biographical film about the Nobel prize-winning Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Yeoh was deported from Myanmar because of her role in the film.

Yeoh began working in television in 2015. Her first major role was in the series “Star Trek: Discovery,” playing Starfleet Captain Philippa Georgiou from 2017 to 2020. Yeoh’s later films include Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Last Christmas (2019), Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

American actor George Takei at a movie premiere in Los Angeles, California, in 2011.
Credit: Paul Smith / Featureflash

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature AAPI pioneers in a variety of areas.

George Takei is an American actor and activist. He became famous for playing Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on the science fiction television series “Star Trek” (1966-1969). Named after King George VI, Takei became a political activist after enduring many hardships as a Japanese American in the United States. His activism focuses on immigrants and protecting gay rights.

Hosato Takei was born April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California, to Japanese American parents. When he was young, his family was forcibly moved to a Japanese American internment camp in Arkansas. Japanese American internment is the term commonly used to describe the forced relocation and confinement of people of Japanese ancestry in the United States during World War II (1939-1945). Takei’s mother felt betrayed by internment and renounced her American citizenship. As a result, the Takei family was moved to a prison camp in California for the rest of the war.

After the war, Takei’s family remained in California. Takei acted in high school, but he instead chose to study architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. There, he was hired to provide English dubbing for Japanese films as a summer job. After two years at the university, Takei transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to study acting. He worked with an agent to land his first television roles, including parts on the television shows “77 Sunset Strip,” “Perry Mason,” and “Playhouse 90.”  After graduating in 1960, Takei spent a few years acting on the stage, first in New York and then in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. In 1964 he finished his master’s degree in theater arts at UCLA.

TV series, Star Trek, USA 1960s, scene with: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichol. Credit: © Interfoto/Alamy Images

In 1965, Takei auditioned for the television producer Gene Rodenberry. Rodenberry cast Takei as Sulu, the pilot for the starship U.S.S. Enterprise on “Star Trek.” The show was set hundreds of years in the future and followed the crew of an outer space exploration mission.

Takei reprised the role of Sulu in numerous films, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). He provided the voice of Sulu in many Star Trek electronic games. Takei has also played a number of other roles and made several cameo appearances as himself.

In addition to acting, Takei is known for his political activism. In 1972, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and in 1973, he unsuccessfully ran for Los Angeles city council. He also ran for California State Assembly in 1980. Despite these losses, Takei remained an outspoken activist. In addition to sharing his story of growing up in an internment camp, Takei has spoken out about gay rights issues. Takei came out as gay in 2005 and married his partner, Brad Altman, in 2008, when same-sex marriage was legalized in California.

American actress Anna May Wong on November 17, 1937. Photo to promote her upcoming film Daughter of Shanghai.
Credit: © Paramount Pictures

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will celebrate the accomplishments and heritage of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Anna May Wong was a Chinese American actress. She became famous during the early years of the American motion-picture industry. During her lifetime, Wong was one of few Asian American performers who achieved widespread success. She eventually grew disappointed with the limited roles offered to her. She also became an outspoken critic of the casting of white performers as Asian characters.

Wong Liu Tsong was born on Jan. 3, 1905, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents operated a laundry. Wong made her first motion-picture appearance as an extra in The Red Lantern (1919). She then continued acting in small roles. For years, she hid her work as an extra from her family. Wong’s first credited role was in Bits of Life (1921). After her father learned of her acting career, he insisted on being present when she was on set.

Wong starred in the 1923 film Toll of the Sea, the first widely released feature film made in Technicolor. Before Technicolor, films were either black and white, or colored by hand. In Toll of the Sea, Wong played the romantic lead, a role that brought her new fame. However, her stardom began to strain her family life, as photographers and fans showed up at the family laundry to see her. Wong’s family was further upset by her role as an untrustworthy “Mongol slave” in The Thief of Bagdad (1924).

By the late 1920’s, Wong had grown disappointed with Hollywood. She was consistently offered roles as enslaved people, temptresses, and villains. In contrast, sympathetic leading roles were often reserved for white performers. Even leading Asian characters were often played by better-known white actors made up to look Asian. In The Crimson City (1928), for example, Wong played a supporting role to lead actress Myrna Loy, a white woman made up to look Asian. Wong moved to Europe in hopes of finding more realistic roles. There, she learned to speak French, German, and Italian. In 1929, Wong starred alongside the British actor Laurence Olivier in the play A Circle of Chalk in London.

In 1931, Wong starred as the lead in the Broadway play On the Spot. The role led to Wong’s return to Hollywood, with Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and Shanghai Express (1932). Both films offered the type of Asian villain role that Wong had sought to escape. However, Shanghai Express allowed for a more nuanced performance. In it, Wong plays Hui Fei, a prostitute (sex worker) and an ally of a Chinese warlord who later betrays him.

Despite the acclaim she received for Shanghai Express, Wong continued to be offered disappointing roles. For example, producers wanted Wong to play a dancer called Lotus in the film The Good Earth (1937). But Wong wanted to play O-Lan, a leading Chinese character. The German actress Luise Rainer went on to win an Academy Award for portraying O-Lan.

In 1936, Wong left Hollywood again, this time for China. In China, she was criticized for her early film roles and for being too western for Chinese audiences. After Wong returned to the United States, filmmakers were more interested in hiring her to coach white actors playing Asian characters. In 1942, Wong retired from acting in movies.

During the 1950’s, Wong acted in television shows. In the TV series “The Gallery of Madame Liu Tsong” (1951), she played an art gallery owner who solved crimes. In 1960, she returned to motion pictures, playing a housekeeper in Portrait in Black. The same year, she was given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, a series of bronze stars set in the sidewalk and named for celebrities. Wong died on Feb. 3, 1961, from a heart attack.

In 2003, the Japanese film Spirited Away (2001), by Hayao Miyazaki, became the first anime production to win the Academy Award as best animated feature film.
Credit: © Pictorial Press/Alamy Images

This Saturday, April 15 is National Anime Day, celebrating the distinct style of animation that developed in Japan in the 1960’s. Anime is short for animeshiyon, the Japanese word for animation. Anime stories may be original or based on popular children’s tales. Many of the stories, as well as the overall look of anime, are taken from Japanese comic books called manga that became popular in the 1950’s. Anime has a flat look and features colorful images and heroic characters. The plots are often action-filled, with fantastic, futuristic, or political themes. Many anime characters have large, saucerlike eyes, small mouths, and wild hair. The characters often display exaggerated emotions.

An action figure display features the superhero Deku from the series My Hero Academia.
Credit: © Morumotto/Shutterstock

Anime television series and motion pictures are watched around the world. “My Hero Academia”  is a popular manga and anime series of the 2010’s and 2020’s. It was created by the Japanese artist Kohei Horikoshi. The series takes place in a world where most people have a unique inborn superpower that individuals can develop to become heroes. “Attack on Titan” is among the most popular manga and anime series of the 2010’s. It is an action and fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction by the mysterious Titans. The Titans are giant, humanoid monsters that attack and eat humans on sight.

A life-sized model of a Titan greets visitors to a Japanese theme park attraction based on the series Attack on Titan.
Credit: © MR. AEKALAK CHIAMCHAROEN/Shutterstock

Other popular anime TV series include “Dragon Ball” (1986-1989) by manga artist and writer Akira Toriyama, “Pokémon” (1997-2002), “Cowboy Bebop” (1998-1999), “Naruto” (2002-2007), and “Fullmetal Alchemist” (2003-2004). Notable anime feature films include Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, and My Neighbor Totoro (all 1988); Ninja Scroll (1993); Princess Mononoke (1997); Ponyo (2008); The Secret World of Arrietty (2010); and The Wind Rises (2013). In 2003, the Japanese film Spirited Away (2001), by Hayao Miyazaki, became the first anime production to win the Academy Award as best animated feature film.

The character Goku in the anime series “Dragon Ball Z”
Credit: © Fuji TV

There are many types of anime, including action, adventure, comedy, romance, science fiction, fantasy, and the supernatural. Shonen anime features action or adventure and is targeted toward adolescent boys. Shojo anime features character development and romance and is targeted toward adolescent girls. Mecha anime features giant robots with human traits. Some types of anime have more adult themes, often involving violence or sexual material. Anime may be subtitled or dubbed in other languages for release in countries outside of Japan.

Manga comics surged in popularity in Japan in the mid-1900′s. The “Naruto” (1994-2014) series by Masashi Kishimoto became one of the top-selling manga series of all time. It is about the adventures of a mischievous young ninja.
Credit: © Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha Inc.

The Japanese animator and cartoonist Osamu Tezuka was a pioneer of manga and anime. He was greatly influenced by the animation of the American motion-picture producer Walt Disney. Tezuka created a number of popular manga series in the 1950’s that later became popular anime TV series. These include the TV series “Astro Boy” (1963-1966) and “Kimba the White Lion” (1965-1967). Anime often appears jerky because it typically uses fewer drawings than the animation of such major studios as Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Animated cartoons often appeal to children, but anime can be enjoyed by adults as well as younger viewers around the world.

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek
Credit: © Jeopardy! Productions, Inc.

He was one of history’s most beloved game show hosts.

If you said, “Alex Trebek,” you’re wrong—but only because you didn’t answer in the form of a question!

That’s the way things work on the long-running television quiz show “Jeopardy!” (1984-…). The clues are provided in the form of answers, and the contestants supply the question. The show has become a staple of American television and made a household name of its host, Alex Trebek, who died November 8 at the age of 80. Trebek became known for his calm and charismatic personality and for wryly responding to contestants who missed easy questions. Along the way, in an age of game shows that often involved simple puzzles or silly stunts, “Jeopardy!” gained a reputation as a serious and challenging contest of knowledge.

Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Ottawa, graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1961. Trebek began his career as a journalist and newscaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He shifted careers when he began hosting the Canadian quiz show “Reach for the Top” (1961-1989) in the mid-1960′s. Trebek began hosting the nationally televised Canadian game show “Jackpot” (1974-1990) in 1970. Trebek’s first role in American television was hosting the game show “The Wizard of Odds” (1973-1974). In 1984, Merv Griffin, the creator of the popular game show “Wheel of Fortune” (1975-…), invited Trebek to host a revival of the 1960′s and 1970′s game show “Jeopardy!”. Trebek ended up hosting more than 37 seasons of the show.

“Jeopardy!” has become an institution of popular culture. The show’s lilting Final Jeopardy theme, played as contestants contemplate each episode’s ultimate question, is widely associated with thinking under pressure. Among the more famous parodies of the show is a series of “Saturday Night Live” sketches in which Trebek, played by the comedian Will Ferrell, tussles with unruly celebrity contestants, most notably Sean Connery.

Trebek won six daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding game show host. In 2011, he won a daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement. In 2014, Trebek achieved the Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter, with more than 8,000 episodes. Trebek wrote a memoir, The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life (2020).

In 2019, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Despite debilitating pain, he continued to host the show and shared his experience of his illness with viewers in television interviews and specials.

December 16, 2019

Tomorrow, December 17, marks 30 years since the animated situation comedy “The Simpsons” began its first season in 1989. The popular show is the longest-running series in television history. The series follows the comic adventures of the Simpsons, a blue-collar American family, and the many other colorful characters who live in the fictitious town of Springfield. The series began with a Christmas special, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” which was followed by 12 episodes that ran from January through May 1990. “The Simpsons” is known for its satire of popular culture and American society. The series and its contributors have won dozens of Emmy Awards.

The first episode of the first season of “The Simpsons” aired 30 years ago on Dec. 17, 1989. Credit: © Fox

The Simpson family—which never ages—consists of the dim-witted father, Homer (voice by Dan Castellaneta), who works in the town’s nuclear power plant; the devoted mother and housewife, Marge (voice by Julie Kavner); the mischievous 10-year-old, Bart (voice by Nancy Cartwright); the bright 8-year-old, Lisa (voice by Yeardley Smith); and the pacifier-sucking baby, Maggie. The series also frequently features celebrity guest voices and characters. Numerous talented writers have worked for the show over the years, including Al Jean, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, and the television personality Conan O’Brien.

“The Simpsons” was created by the American cartoonist Matt Groening, who developed the series with the creative director Sam Simon and the producer James L. Brooks. The show began as a series of animated segments that were shown on the American television variety series “The Tracey Ullman Show” beginning in 1987. In 2007, The Simpsons Movie, an animated feature-length motion picture based on the series, was released.

May 16, 2017

On Saturday, May 13, Portugal’s Salvador Sobral won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song, “Amar Pelos Dois” (Love for Both of Us). The Portuguese-language ballad was written by Sobral’s sister, Luisa. Sobral is the first Portuguese artist to win the the hugely popular European contest. Held every year since 1956, Eurovision is the world’s largest and longest-running annual television song competition. This year’s contest took place at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine. Each year’s winning nation hosts the following year’s contest. In 2016, Ukrainian singer Jamala won Eurovision with her song, “1944.”

Portuguese artist Salvador Sobral performs the Eurovision-winning ballad, “Amar Pelos Dois,” at the Internatinal Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 13, 2017. Credit: © Review News/Shutterstock

Long before “American Idol,” “The Voice,” “The X Factor,” or even “Star Search,” there was Eurovision. The show began as the “Eurovision Grand Prix” in 1956 and became the “Eurovision Song Contest” in 1968. Each year, primarily European countries submit one entry—one artist with one new and original song—to the Eurovision contest. Despite the great variety of nations participating, most songs are in English. The songs are each performed live—often with elaborate stage shows—and votes from the television audience are combined with those of a professional international jury to gradually narrow the competition to the “Grand Final” round. The final songs are then performed and voting determines the overall winner, who performs again and receives the “glass microphone” trophy. This year’s competition began with 42 national entries; 26 took part in the Grand Final.

Conchita Wurst, representing Austria, won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The televised annual singing competition began in 1956 and is the largest music competition in the world. Credit: © AP Photo

More than 50 nations have participated in Eurovision. All active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can take part in the contest. The EBU is a professional association of national broadcasters that negotiates and advocates on behalf of public broadcasters in Europe. The EBU also includes numerous non-European nations. It operates the Eurovision network, the world’s largest provider of international sports and news broadcasts.

Swedish group ABBA’s superstardom began with the 1974 Eurovision contest, and the show kick-started the career of French-Canadian star Céline Dion (singing for Switzerland) in 1988. Other Eurovision winners have included French singer France Gall (1965) and the British group Katrina and the Waves (1987). In 1958, Italy’s Domenico Modugno placed third at Eurovision with his song, “Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu,” better known as “Volare” (made famous by American singer Dean Martin). In 1994, Eurovision first presented the Irish dance production Riverdance to international audiences. Ireland has won Eurovision seven times, more than any other country.