15 Famous Artists You Didn't Know Competed In Eurovision
10. Ofra Haza - Hi (Israel)
What is She Know For? Ofra Haza (1957-2000) was an Israeli pop star whose songs like Im Nin'Alu combined ancient Yemeni Jewish poetry with a mix of traditional and modern instrumentals to create a unique sound. To Americans, she was probably best known for voicing Yocheved, Moses' mother, in the animated musical film Prince of Egypt.
At Eurovision (Second Place): At the 1983 Eurovision song contest in Munich, Germany, Ofra Haza performed sixteenth out of twenty countries with the sing Hi (Alive). It's a lively song with an optimistic theme about the celebrating the life and hope of the Jewish people. By the end of the voting, Ofra received 136 points (including two twelve-point scores), which placed her in the runner-up position, losing out to Luxembourg's Corinne Hermès by just six points. Despite not winning Eurovision, it did serve as Ofra Haza's introduction for new audiences in Europe and even in America to some extent.
After Eurovision: In addition to her international recording career, Ofra Haza sang for a few film soundtracks, like Dick Tracy (1990), Queen Margot (1994), and The Prince of Egypt (1998). In Dreamworks' animated musical take on Exodus, Ofra was cast as Yocheved, Moses' mother, and her character design resembled her physical features. Not only did she sing her part of the opening number Deliver Us in English and Hebrew, but in fifteen other languages!
Sadly, Haza's career came to a premature end when she died in 2000 due to AIDS-infected pneumonia. Her unexpected death caused a nationwide mourning in Israel akin to Elvis Presley's death in America, with continual airplay of her songs and condolences from Israeli figures.