Donny Montell
Donatas Montvydas, also known by his stage name Donny Montell, is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter who represented Lithuania at the Eurovision [Song Contest 2012], held in Baku, Azerbaijan. He represented Lithuania for a second time in Eurovision [Song Contest 2016|2016], when he represented his country in Stockholm, Sweden.
Early life
Donatas Montvydas was born on 22 October 1987 in Vilnius. His mother was a gymnast and his father, Algirdas Montvydas, was a drummer of the hard rock group Plackartas. Montvydas' older sister is a professional dancer. His interest in music began at a young age. He started performing publicly at age six when his vocal teacher let him participate in the contest for young singers Dainų dainelė, singing "Aš kiškelis mažas" and he became a laureate. In 2008, he won his first big prize when becoming the Grand Prix winner of the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Belarus.
Musical influences
As a child, Montvydas was highly influenced by artists such as Michael Jackson and rock band Queen, and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. He also admires Freddie Mercury for his personality. Montvydas also stated that his father is by far his biggest inspiration.
Personal life
He was married to dancer Veronika Brasaitė, with whom he has a daughter Adelė and a son Kajus. They divorced in 2024. When confirming their divorce in an Instagram post, Montvydas said that he supports the LGBT community, but has always been sure of his own sexuality, having only been attracted to women.