Corry Brokken

Biography

Cornelia Maria "Corry" Brokken (3 December 1932 – 31 May 2016) was a Dutch singer, television presenter and jurist. In 1957, she won the second edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Net als toen×Net als toenStudio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1La mamma3:472Net als toen3:263Zigeuner speel een lied2:594Vannacht3:395Op het geluk na3:116Nitchewo4:407Ga niet weg2:338Geef mij je hand2:419Ik moet weg1:5210Het strand3:4111Vertel ’t me niet, m’n kind4:1812Alouette2:5213Moederke alleen3:5814Zo gaat het meisjes altijd4:3215Herderswijsje2:5216Hou je van ’m4:1417’t Is al laat3:0218Een huis is nog geen huis3:08", representing the Netherlands. Throughout her career, she scored a number of hits, sang in the popular Sleeswijk Revue with Snip en Snap, and had her own television show. She was also the presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, which was held in The Hague, Netherlands, following the victory of Teach-In the year before. She ended her career as a singer in 1973 to study law, after which she became a lawyer and ultimately a judge.

Eurovision Song Contest

In 1956, Brokken won the Nationaal Songfestival 1956 with the song "Voorgoed voorbij", which gave her the right to represent the Netherlands in the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest alongside runner-up Jetty Paerl. In 1957, she won the Nationaal Songfestival for the second time in a row, and represented the Netherlands again in the Eurovision Song Contest 1957. Her entry "Net als toen×Net als toenStudio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1La mamma3:472Net als toen3:263Zigeuner speel een lied2:594Vannacht3:395Op het geluk na3:116Nitchewo4:407Ga niet weg2:338Geef mij je hand2:419Ik moet weg1:5210Het strand3:4111Vertel ’t me niet, m’n kind4:1812Alouette2:5213Moederke alleen3:5814Zo gaat het meisjes altijd4:3215Herderswijsje2:5216Hou je van ’m4:1417’t Is al laat3:0218Een huis is nog geen huis3:08", written by Willy van Hemert and composed by Guus Jansen, received most points from the international juries and gave the Netherlands its first win in the competition. In 1958, Brokken won the Nationaal Songfestival once again, this time with the song "Heel de wereld". In the international final, held in Hilversum, Netherlands, her entry finished in last place with only one point. In the book The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History, John Kennedy O'Connor notes that Corry is the only singer ever to have finished both first and last in the contest.

After Eurovision

Brokken was one of the most popular female singers in the Netherlands during the 1950s and 1960s, performing in the Sleeswijk Revue alongside Snip en Snap and scoring hits, some of which were translated chansons by Charles Aznavour.
In 1976, Brokken served as the presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest, and in 1997, she announced the results of the Dutch vote for that year's contest. By that time she was no longer active as a singer. She had ended her musical career in 1973 to study law, after which she became a lawyer. She was later installed as a judge in 's-Hertogenbosch. In the 1990s she returned to the entertainment industry, performing on stage and recording a new album. She also wrote a column for the weekly women's magazine Margriet.
Brokken died on 31 May 2016 at the age of 83.

Personal

Brokken was married three times and had a daughter, Nancy Sleeswijk.

Singles

"Voorgoed voorbij" (1956)
"Net als toen×Net als toenStudio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1La mamma3:472Net als toen3:263Zigeuner speel een lied2:594Vannacht3:395Op het geluk na3:116Nitchewo4:407Ga niet weg2:338Geef mij je hand2:419Ik moet weg1:5210Het strand3:4111Vertel ’t me niet, m’n kind4:1812Alouette2:5213Moederke alleen3:5814Zo gaat het meisjes altijd4:3215Herderswijsje2:5216Hou je van ’m4:1417’t Is al laat3:0218Een huis is nog geen huis3:08" (1957)
"Heel de wereld" (1958)
"Milord×Milord2003 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Ave Maria no moro2:222De messenwerper3:133De zigeuners3:114Donaulied3:135Een huis is nog geen thuis3:126Geef mij je hand2:387Heel de wereld2:528La mamma3:469Mijn ideaal3:3310Milord4:5311Net als toen3:2412Tweedehands Jet2:0013Mustapha3:1214Als ’n licht in de nacht2:1915Ballade van een gevangene3:4016De harlekijn van Granada2:3917Nooit krijg ik spijt2:25" (1960)