Philippe Lafontaine

Philippe Lafontaine
Background Information
Origin	Gosselles, Belgium
Birth date	24 May 1955
Death date	N/A
Age	70
Eurovision Song Contest
Country	Belgium
Year	1990
Song	Macédomienne
Semi Position	--
Semi Points	--
Final Position	12th
Final Points	46

Philippe Lafontaine is a Belgian singer and composer.

Born in Gosselles, Belgium, he attended a Jesuit college before leaving at the age of 17 to pursue a career in music. His first successes came from the writing and recording of jingles for television commercials, including Stella Artois and Coca-Cola.

Throughout the 1980s he joined the musical comedy Brel en mille temps, touring in Dakar and Moscow, and then Leningrad and Saint Petersburg. Lafontaine released three albums before the song "Coeur de Loup" became his first big hit and launched his career once and for all in Europe. The song garnered many awards in Belgium, France and Quebec. His lyrics were also known for including double entendres.

He represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 with the song Macédomienne, a tribute to his Macedonian wife. He placed 12th with 46 points.

After Eurovision, he released five more albums, of which Folklores Imaginaires received critical acclaim. In 2001, the musical comedy Celia Fee premiered, which Lafontaine wrote for his granddaughter.

Trivia

• Philippe shares the same birthday as Silje Vige (24 May), but Philippe is twenty-one years older.