caption website death_date years_active birth_name alias birth_place image_size background birth_date image article_title name
gustav winckler & birthe wilke -lsb- http://www.gustavwinckler.dk/ gustavwinckler.dk -rsb- 20 january 1979 1950s - 1970s gustav frands wilzeck winckler sam payne , gunnar winckler denmark 200px solo_singer 13 october 1925 birthe wilke & gustav winckler.jpg gustav winckler
 gustav winckler
gustav winckler

gustav frands wilzeck winckler -lrb- 13 october 1925 -- 20 january 1979 -rrb- was a popular danish singer , composer and music publisher .
he grew up in the nørrebro district of copenhagen and started his career as a decorator .
in 1948 as a young man he won a talent competition at national scala theatre in copenhagen , as well as many others in copenhagen .
he was often compared to bing crosby .
he finally broke through in 1950 with engagements , regular appearances on danmarks radio and his first professional recording .
through the 1950s he recorded and toured in denmark , germany -lrb- under the name gunnar winkler -rrb- and england -lrb- under the name sam payne -rrb- .
in 1957 after qualifying in the dansk melodi grand prix to represent denmark at the eurovision song contest , he participated in eurovision song contest 1957 , where he sang `` skibet skal sejle i nat '' -lrb- `` the ship is leaving tonight '' -rrb- with birthe wilke .
they ranked number 3 , and stunned television audiences with a 13-second-long kiss at the end of their performance .
he participated in the danish melodi grand prix twice afterwards -- in 1964 with '' `` ugler i mosen '' '' , and then in 1966 with '' `` salami '' '' .
he died in a car crash in 1979 .
his brother jørgen winckler also recorded songs in the 1950s and early 1960s .
