Sad news coming in this morning as it has been confirmed that the host of the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, Daniel Pe’er, has passed away at the age of 74.

On Sunday, Daniel Pe’er was admitted to a hospital in Jerusalem after suffering a stroke, but sadly passing away in the early hours of this morning.

The news was confirmed by his fellow Eurovision 1979 co-host Yardena Arazi via her Facebook page, paying tribute to the veteran television host and newsreader as a “charming, generous man”.

The life of Daniel Pe’er

Pe’er was born on the 2 January 1943 in the city of Tel Aviv.

At the age of 19, Pe’er first joined the former Israeli national broadcaster, IBA, in 1962 as a radio announcer, going on to serve as a television news anchor only a matter of years later.

Pe’er is known amongst Eurovision fans for his presenting role at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest in the host city of Jerusalem, hosting alongside Israeli singer and entertainer Arazi.

Pe’er’s Eurovision connection continued in the years the follow, going on to host the Israeli national final for the competition from 1981 to 1983 and once again in 1986.

The following year’s, the veteran host read out the results for Israel in 1992 and 1995, later providing regular commentary for the competition on Israel radio.

Pe’er retired from radio and television in 2010.

Survived by his wife and 3 children, Pe’er’s funeral will take place on Friday.

Here at ESCToday, we’d like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Daniel Pe’er