Like many Europop legends, Austrian-Swiss vocalist Udo Jürgens owed his fame to the Eurovision Song Contest, which he handily won in 1966 with the evergreen ballad "Merci, Chérie". But Jürgens also helped transform schlager into an international form of sophisticated pop. By shaving away some of the pre-pop vestiges of traditional schlager and imbuing his songwriting with a narrative framework reflecting his love for French chanson, Jürgens distinguished himself by telling elegant stories of modern lovers and applying a caramel-toned tenor to conversational ballads and upbeat show-stoppers.