Sigurjón Brink (29 August 1974 – 17 January 2011), better known as Sjonni Brink or just the mononym Sjonni, was an

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

ic singer-songwriter. He was one of the founders of the Icelandic theatre group

Vesturport Vesturport is an Icelandic theatre group, founded on 18 August 2001. The group has performed plays in the United States, Europe and Australia. In 2011, it received the Europe Prize Theatrical Realities for its complete work, innovative charact ...

, which received the honourable

Europe Theatre Prize The Europe Theatre Prize ''(Premio Europa per il Teatro)'' is an award of the European Commission for a personality who has "contributed to the realisation of cultural events that promote understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peo ...

in St. Petersburg.

Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins

Earlier competitions

Sjonni was a household name in Iceland and participated in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins the Icelandic national selection show for the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

three times: *

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

with "Hjartaþrá" *

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

with "Áfram" *

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

with "You Knocked Upon My Door" and "Waterslide",

2011 competition

Sjonni 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 Sjonni's Friends () were an Icelandic tribute band also known at times as Sigurjón's Friends. The band formed in early 2011 when the Icelandic singer Sjonni Brink (real name Sigurjón Brink) died just days before he was to perform his entry " A ...

, a tribute band consisting of Sjonni'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 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 Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, following the country's victory at the with the song "Satellite" by Lena. Organised by the European Broadcasting Uni ...

. The actual Eurovision competition was held in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in May 2011 where the formation Sjonni's Friends sang it with amended English lyrics as "Coming Home". It came 20th overall during the final of the competition after receiving 61 points.

Death

During the evening of 17 January, Sigurjón died at his home in

Garðabær Garðabær () is a town and municipality in the Capital Region of Iceland. History Garðabær is a growing town in the Capital Region. It is the fifth largest municipality in Iceland with a population of 20,116 (1 January 2025). The site of Gar ...

in Iceland, after suffering a stroke. He left behind his wife and four children. Six years later, his son, Aron Brink, competed in the Icelandic national final, Söngvakeppni 2017, with his song "Hypnotized" and finished fourth.

Discography

Singles

*2006: "Hjartaþrá'' (ISL #4) *2007: "Áfram" *2007: "La Bamba" (ISL #7) *2008: "Flökkuhjartað" *2008: "Brosið þitt lýsir mér leið" *2010: "You Knocked Upon My Door" *2010: "Waterslide"

Discography (after death)

Albums

*2011: ''Sjonni Brink'' *2004: Flavors, Go your own way. *1995: with his band In Bloom.

Singles

;as Sjonni's Friends (sometimes aka Sigurjón's Friends) *2011: " Aftur heim" (ISL #1) **2011: "Coming Home" (English version of "Aftur heim" as sung during

) *2011 : Reality (recorded in the summer of 2010 and released after his death, included on the Sjonni's Friends Eurovision cd.) ;as Þórunn Erna Clausen & Sjonni Brink *2013: Days Gone By"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brink, Sigurjon 1974 births 2011 deaths 21st-century Icelandic male singers People from Garðabær English-language singers from Iceland