Gunvor

Early Life and Tap Dance Champion

Gunvor Guggisberg was born on August 23, 1974, in Bern, Switzerland. At age 13, Gunvor gained fame as a talented tap dancer. She won the Swiss tap dancing championship six times during her teenage years. Despite her achievements in dance, Gunvor dreamed of becoming a singer. In her early twenties she began focusing on singing and won two of Switzerland’s biggest talent shows.

Breakthrough in Music and Eurovision Selection

Gunvor’s national breakthrough came in late 1997 when she entered Switzerland’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. She co-wrote the song “Lass ihn” (“Let Him”). Her performance won the Swiss national final in December 1997, making her the country’s Eurovision entrant for 1998. At the time, Gunvor was working as a secretary and singing part-time in a bar. She left that job to focus on the upcoming Eurovision stage. However, the media soon spotlighted her past. Swiss tabloids revealed that Gunvor had posed for nude photos and briefly worked at a club about a year and a half earlier. They also reported she had financial troubles before Eurovision. Despite this intense media attention, Gunvor stayed focused on her performance.

Eurovision Song Contest 1998 Experience

In May 1998, 23-year-old Gunvor represented Switzerland at the Eurovision final in Birmingham, England. She performed “Lass ihn” with high hopes. However, the night did not go as planned. Switzerland failed to earn any points, and Gunvor finished in last place out of 25 contestants. It was a disappointing result, especially since many had considered her a favorite to win. A documentary film titled “Gunvor – A Media History” later explored her Eurovision journey, including an emotional scene of her standing on an empty stage after the contest. Despite the setback, Gunvor did not give up on music after the contest.

Post-Eurovision Music Career

Following Eurovision, Gunvor released new music and continued performing. In 1998 she put out a follow-up single, although it failed to chart. She continued to face heavy media scrutiny at that time. Undeterred, Gunvor launched more singles like “Money Makes…” in 1998 and “Land of Fantasy” in 1999. Around Christmas 1999 she was singing and dancing in Zurich’s famed Conelli Circus. In 2000, she released her debut album titled From A to Z, a double album featuring her own songs, cover versions, and musical numbers. However, this album did not achieve commercial success. In 2002, Gunvor released additional songs including the single “Born to Be (Loved by You)” and a track called “How Many Times,” for which she even filmed a music video.

Acting and Stage Work

Gunvor expanded her career into acting and stage performances. In 2003, she joined the cast of the famous musical Hair in Switzerland. She played the role of Crissy in a production that toured for about six months. Singing her solo song “Frank Mills” in that show became a personal highlight. A few years later, Gunvor took on another musical role. In May 2009 she portrayed a character named Eve in the musical Storm at the Stadthalle in Bülach.

Later Career and Personal Life

Gunvor kept pursuing music projects into the 2010s and beyond. She collaborated with producer Andreas “Zaani” Canzani to create new songs tailored to her style. One of their first projects was the pop single “Don’t Judge,” which Gunvor co-wrote and released independently in 2009. In 2011, she released a burlesque-inspired single called “Passion (Fearless)”, continuing to explore different musical styles. She even produced new themed albums, including a James Bond tribute in 2017 and a children’s musical project in 2018. Despite ups and downs, she never left music.

Her life also saw challenges: in 2004 she filed for bankruptcy, and in 2014 authorities arrested her for theft and insurance fraud. That same year she married businessman Roland Meyer, taking the name Gunvor Meyer. She and her husband later opened a music-themed bistro and boutique hotel in Gersau on Lake Lucerne.

Today, Gunvor Guggisberg remains active in the Swiss entertainment world. She even returned to the Eurovision scene with a special medley performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 events in Switzerland. She embraces her Eurovision legacy, saying that the “nul points” she received in 1998 are part of her story but do not define her. Gunvor continues to perform and connect with fans, showing her dedication to music over more than two decades.