The singer-songwriter represented Armenia at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest.
Eurovision contestant Hayko, who represented Armenia in 2007, has died at the age of 48.
The singer-songwriter, whose full name was Hayk Hakobyan, died today in the Armenian capital of Yerevan after falling ill with COVID-19 last week.
The Eurovision Song Contest paid tribute to Hayko on Twitter, writing “You will always be in our hearts,” alongside his performance of ‘Anytime You Need’ from Eurovision 2007.
We’re very sorry to hear of the passing of Armenian artist Hayko.
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) September 29, 2021
Hayko represented his country at Eurovision 2007 where he finished 8th with his touching ballad ‘Anytime You Need’.
You will always be in our hearts ❤️???????? pic.twitter.com/S0iRQgHAUY
The Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, also offered his condolences following the news of Hayko’s death, describing him as “one of the bright representatives of modern Armenian music”.
“His works are loved by people, and his romances have a special place in the rich heritage of Armenian music,” he said. “Hayko’s music has been featured in a number of contemporary Armenian films, greatly contributing to the development of Armenian cinema.”
Fellow Eurovision star Aram MP3, who represented Armenia in 2014 with the song ‘Not Alone’, wrote on Instagram that Hayko was a “bright, kind and talented person”, adding: “You will forever remain bright.”
While Sirusho, a singer-songwriter who participated in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest and worked with Hayko, also wrote on Instagram: “I lost a brother, we lost a talent.”
Hayko came in eighth place at the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, which was won by Serbia’s Marija Šerifović.
A composer and singer, Hayko released his first album Romances in 1999 after winning first place at New York City’s Big Apple festival.
He went on to become the second-ever Eurovision entrant to represent Armenia with his ballad ‘Anytime You Need’.
Throughout his career, he has won a number of Armenian Music Awards and American National Music Awards and in 2017, returned to Eurovision as a judge for the national selection show Depi Evratesil.
Since making its Eurovision Song Contest debut in 2006, Armenia has been represented by 13 artists over the years, with both Sirusho and Aram Mp3 being the country’s most successful participants after reaching fourth place in 2008 and 2014 respectively.