About
Biography
Eddie Butler is an Israeli singer born on October 2, 1971, in Dimona, Israel. He comes from a family of Black Hebrew Israelites who moved to Israel from Chicago. Eddie is one of 11 brothers and sisters. His Hebrew name is Etan, and he grew up in a tight-knit community that faced challenges, like being denied citizenship at first, because they were seen as a unique group. Over time, their community gained acceptance, partly through music.
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Eddie started singing at age eight. In the 1990s, he performed with wedding bands and worked as a backing singer for Israeli artist Zehava Ben in 1992 during the Kdam-Eurovision, a national song contest. His big break came in 1999 when he joined the group Eden, which included his older brother Gabriel Butler, Rafael Dahan, and Doron Oren. They represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem with the song “Happy Birthday” (Yom Huledet), finishing 5th with 93 points. The group broke up in 2001, and Eddie launched his solo career.
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As a solo artist, Eddie performed across Europe, Russia, and the United States. In 2002, he won the Special Audience Prize at the New Wave music competition in JÅ«rmala, Latvia. He returned to Eurovision in 2006, representing Israel again, this time alone, with the song “Together We Are One” (also known as “Ze Hazman,” meaning “This Is The Time”). The song mixed Hebrew and English and had a gospel style, but it finished 23rd, earning just 4 points from France.
Eddie’s personal life also made headlines. He proposed to his wife, Orly Burg, on the Israeli TV show hosted by Dudu Topaz. He wrote a song for her called “At HaHalom” (You Are the Dream) during his long tours. To marry Orly in an Orthodox Jewish wedding, Eddie converted to traditional Judaism. He now lives in Tel Aviv and has been studying Judaism.
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Eddie’s music and story helped his Black Hebrew Israelite community gain acceptance in Israel. By 2003, the community won permanent residency, and some members, including young people, joined the Israeli army. Eddie’s performances, like his Eurovision appearances, showed his pride in representing Israel and his community.
Entries
Together We Are One
Backings
Elisabeth Young
Haia Rud
Ortal Ofek
Lillie Smart
Manor Shabat
Results Semi
Points: –
Position: –
Running order: –
Results Finals
Points: 4
Position: 23
Running order: 3
Yom Huledet (Happy Birthday) (Eden)
Country
🇮🇱 Israel
Year
1999
Language
English
Lyrics
Gabriel Butler
Jeki Oved
Jacob Lamai
Music
Moshe Datz
Jeki Oved
Jacob Lamai
Backings
Gilad Pearl (unverified)
Shai Shoshan (unverified)
Results Semi
Points: –
Position: –
Running order: –
Results Finals
Points: 93
Position: 5
Running order: 19
