Sjonni Brink

Sigurjón Brink (29 August 1974 – 17 January 2011), better known as Sjonni Brink or just the mononym Sjonni, was an Icelandic musician and singer. He is one of the founders of the Icelandic theatre group Vesturport, which received the honorable Europe Theatre Prize in St. Petersburg.

Brink was a household name in Iceland and participated in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins the Icelandic national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest three times:

Brink would have also participated in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2011, with "Aftur Heim", but died before the first performance in the third semi-final. Sigurjón Brink had composed the music himself, with lyrics by his wife Þórunn Erna Clausen. Sigurjón's family decided, on reflection that they would like for the song to remain in the competition, that it should be performed by Sjonni's Friends, a tribute band consisting of Brink's real life musician friends Hreimur Örn Heimisson, Gunnar Ólason, Benedikt Brynleifsson, Vignir Snær Vigfússon, Matthías Matthíasson and Pálmi Sigurhjartarson. The formation won the Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2011, and the whole nation joined together in grief for Sjonni's premature death. The group Sjonni's Friends (in Icelandic Vinir Sjonna) won the right to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

The actual Eurovision competition was held in Düsseldorf, Germany in May 2011 where the formation Sjonni's Friends sang it with amended English lyrics as "Coming Home". It came 20th overall during the actual competition after receiving 61 points. Azerbaijan's Ell & Nikki won getting 221 points for their song "Running Scared".

During the evening of 17 January, Sigurjón died at his home in Garðabær in Iceland, after suffering a stroke. He leaves behind his wife and four children. His son, Aron Brink, competed in Icelandic national finals Söngvakeppni 2017, with his song 'Hypnotized' and finished fourth in the finals.

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