At the 2001 final in Copenhagen, Tanel Padar and Dave Benton triumphed with the song "Everybody." This was Estonia's first win in the contest, and it has not won since then – though Tommy Cash placed a creditable third in Switzerland last year.

Padar spoke to Vikerraadio, noting that over the past quarter of a century, his view of winning Eurovision has changed. "Today I see it a little through my children's eyes as well. So I can tell them that their dad has been to a place like that. I'm not sure they fully grasp it, because their dad also jokes around a lot," he said.

He still uses the Eurovision theme music when going on stage with his current band, however, and the fallout from the 2001 win is still going strong. For instance, Padar only recently got a congratulatory message for the win from France's representative that year, Natasha St-Pier, who finished fourth.

Despite this, Padar said he is not a natural-born lead vocalist.

"Looking back on winning Eurovision, I've always told everyone that I never wanted to be the front man. That guy who carries the responsibility and singing also has to do the dialogue between songs. I'd rather be in the second row — the guitarist, the tambourine guy, singing backing vocals or something like that. Even to this day, Eurovision seems more logical to me in the sense that taking part is more important than victory. Winning can start to affect people's lives. Participation only gives you experience, and experience makes people better and wiser," he noted.

Padar did not win the contest alone, but his co-performer, Dave Benton, originally from Aruba, was 30 years his senior.

"At that moment Dave Benton was already 50 years old. To a 20-year-old, a 50-year-old seems ancient. I wouldn't want to say that today. I had two records that I handed out. The original 'Everybody' single, whose cover featured me as a 20-year-old standing next to a 50-year-old gentleman. And my debut album, where I was pictured with my 70-year-old grandmother. A strange young man from Haljala who liked posing with older people," he chuckled.

The Eurovision win was even followed by a sense of isolation. "After winning Eurovision, I stopped playing. Everyone assumed I had become so expensive that nobody could afford to invite me anymore. Estonians also don't tend to ask how you're doing or what your price actually is. It's like you've made a pile of sandwiches and are waiting for people to come to your birthday party, but everyone thinks there will already be plenty of people there, so they decide not to come. In the end nobody comes," Padar added.

As for his own compositions down the years, one or two of these, Padar said, are perhaps best forgotten about. "This year another French drummer wrote to me and asked where he could find a song called 'All About Babes' (a song by Padar's band at the same time as the Eurovision win, Speed Free) from the ["Woman Knows"] album. I told him it doesn't exist, it was never made," he laughed. "I'm also a little embarrassed by the lyrics. My English grade in school was actually a three (out of five – ed.). My English teachers were Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker," he continued.

Still, the most important thing for him is being on stage. "That I get to do what I love most and hear people applauding. Playing an instrument at home or uploading videos somewhere is just a way to pass the time. It's not entertainment for me or for anyone else. But that energetic connection that happens on stage — you can't get it anywhere else. Not from any intoxicant, stronger or weaker alcohol included. Some things simply can't be replaced. You can desperately start doing sports, but that's also just filling time."

Padar and Benton did reunite three years ago to reprise their victory hit, which can be watched again here.

May 12 is also the date today's Estonian Eurovision hopefuls Vanilla Ninja are in action, in the first semifinal, from 10 p.m. Estonian time, which can be viewed here.

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