The artist who represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 passed away on Tuesday 7 July 2015 after a long-lasting fight against the disease that has taken his life.
Jaime García Morey had stepped out of the spotlight a long time ago. His name may not ring a bell in the youngest generations, but to those who enjoyed the melodic style that thrived in the radio stations in Spain in the 60s and 70s he is a symbol of that era.
Jaime Morey was his stage name. He was born in Alicante, Spain on 16 June 1942. His singing career was clear to him soon. He took singing lessons at a young age and already in the 50s he participated in radio song contests like La Voz de la Fama on Radio Valencia or Aquí Albany on Radio Alicante.
His first professional experience was in the Pasapoga Music Hall in Madrid, where he covered the hits of Charles Aznavour. The composer Manuel Alejandro discovered him there.
Jaime Morey participated in the Benidorm Song Contest (at the time the greatest pop-music event in Spain) in 1964 with El barco, el mar y el viento (2nd place) and in 1967 with Por las mañanitas (Audience Award). His success in Benidorm granted him a chance to sing for the show La puerta del sol in Radio Madrid, and to work with the Philips record label.
His entry for Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest took three attempts. In 1965 he competed in the show Gran Parada, which served as the Spanish national selection. Then he had to take on singers like Raphael (Eurovision 1966 and 1967), El Dúo Dinámico or Conchita Bautista. The latter would represent Spain that year with ¡Qué bueno, qué bueno! She had been the first Spanish entrant in 1961 with Estando contigo.
Jaime Morey took part in the Spanish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 Pasaporte a Dublín, which was won by Karina.
The singer finally had his Eurovision entry in 1972 with Amanece, which was composed by Augusto Algueró. The song ended tenth out of eighteen entries.
Shortly after the Eurovision Song Contest, on 5 April 1972, he married María Mollejo. The couple had two daughters: Laura, born in 1973, and Sandra, born in 1974.
The singer had an active role in the campaign for the Spanish General Election in 1977, the first democratic election after Francoism. Jaime Morey sang the official campaign song of the conservative party Alianza Popular, which was led by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a friend of the singer’s and the one who asked Morey to sing the theme. After this the artist moved to work in Mexico. The record label did not like my singing that campaign song, would say Jaime Morey later. The Communist Party had just been legalized and it was in style to be leftist. They didn’t want someone branded right-winged. I didn’t get a thing. I never thought it would be such a big deal. So I was thrown a wrench and moved to Mexico.
He would come back to Spain, where he also made an attempt in acting portraying the king Philip the Handsome in the historical parody Juana la Loca de vez en cuando in 1983. The movie was a parodic retelling of the story of the Queen Joanna of Castile and her madness for King Philip. The role of the mother of Queen Joanna, Queen Isabella I of Castile, was portrayed by the famous flamenco artist Lola Flores.
Jaime Morey retired in 1987. He would appear later as a guest in the Spanish national Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, which was co-hosted by his daughter Sandra.
Jaime Morey represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 with Amanece.
