Donny Montell | |
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Montell in 2016.
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Background information | |
Birth name | Donatas Montvydas |
Also known as | Donny Montell |
Born |
Vilnius, Lithuania |
22 October 1987
Origin | Lithuania |
Genres | Pop, Soul, R'n'B |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, piano |
Years active | 2008–present |
Website | Official Facebook page |
Donatas Montvydas (born 22 October 1987), better known by his stage name Donny Montell, is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter who represented Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. He did so for a second time in 2016, when he represented his country in , Sweden.
Donatas Montvydas was born in Vilnius. His mother was a gymnast and his father was a drummer of the hard rock group Plackartas. Montvydas' older sister is a professional dancer. His interest in music began at a young age. He started performing publicly at age six when his vocal teacher let him participate in the contest for young singers “Dainų dainelė” (“The song of the Songs”), singing " Aš kiškelis mažas“ and he became a laureate. He's married as of 2013 and has a daughter and son.
As a child, Montvydas was highly influenced by artists such as Michael Jackson and rock band Queen and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. He also admires Freddie Mercury for his personality. Montvydas also stated that his father is by far his biggest inspiration.