Lys Assia dead: Eurovision's first ever winner dies, aged 94

Swiss star won for her country in 1956

Lys Assia shortly after winning the very first Eurovision Song Contest with her song 'Refrain' (Getty)

The first ever winner of Eurovision, Lys Assia, has died aged 94, the competition organisers have announced.

Born in Rupperswil, in the north of Switzerland, Assia started her career as a dancer but soon turned to singing and is mostly remembered for winning the very first Eurovision Song Contest, held in Lugano, in her own country, in 1956.

She died on Saturday at Zurich's Zollikerberg Hospital, having recently turned 94, Eurovision announced.

Describing Assia as the “Grande Dame of Eurovision”, the song contest’s organisers said in a statement: “The whole Eurovision family sends our condolences to Lys’ loved ones.”

​As well as her 1956 triumph, Assia also represented Switzerland in 1957 and in 1958 where she finished second with Giorgio.

She was a guest of honour at the contest in 1985 while in 2005 she performed to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Remarkably, at the age of 87, she decided it was time to return as a contestant and unsuccessfully attempted to represent Switzerland in 2012 and 2013.

Her death follows that of Katie Boyle, the presenter of four Eurovision Song Contests, who died on 20 March, aged 91.