Sammy Babitzin

Who was Sammy Babitzin?

Aleksandr "Sammy" Babitzin was a Finnish popular music singer, the brother of Kirka.

Babitzin was born in Helsinki. He started his professional career in a band called The Stealers. Its line-up also included Remu Aaltonen. Babitzin sang in the group of Leo Lindblom under the pseudonym "Sammy-boy".

Sammy Babitzin released his first single in 1966. Many of his songs were duets recorded together with his brother. Babitzin won the "Syksyn Sävel" song contest in 1972 with the song "Daa-da daa-da". Other successful hits included "Kuin tuhka tuuleen" and "Pikku-Kallen päivän huuli" . He released one studio album before his untimely death in 1973.

In 1967, he married Riitta Kilpala, and their son, Mikael, was born three months after the wedding. However, the two got a divorce in 1969.

Babitzin was severely injured in a car accident in Äänekoski. Afterwards, he died in a Jyväskylä hospital at the age of 24. Before the accident he had been a Eurovision Song Contest candidate with his song "Riviera".