) is a Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 singer, best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

s of 1970, 1977 and 1982

Hearts of Soul

In 1969 Maessen and her older sisters Patricia and Bianca formed a group, calling themselves Hearts of Soul

Hearts of Soul

Hearts of Soul was formed by three Harderwijkse sisters: Bianca, Stella and Patricia Maessen.They worked in the late 1960s as session singers for, among other things, Dusty Springfield, until 1968, when they were discovered....

. Following several single releases, and a #11 chart hit with "Fat Jack", they took part in the 1970 Dutch Eurovision selection, where their song "Waterman

Waterman (song)

"Waterman" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, performed in Dutch by Hearts of Soul, a trio consisting of the Dutch sisters Patricia, Bianca and Stella Maessen....

" ("Aquarius") earned a narrow victory, qualifying them for the 15th Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1970

The Eurovision Song Contest 1970 was the 15th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 21 March 1970 at the RAI Congrescentrum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Amsterdam contest is regarded as one of the most significant in Eurovision history for a number of reasons....

, which took place on 21 March on home ground in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. Technically, groups of more than two singers were still barred from Eurovision at that time, so to get around this they billed themselves as 'Patricia and the Hearts of Soul', implying that Stella and Bianca were backing singers to Patricia's lead. In a small field of 12, "Waterman" placed seventh.

Dream Express

In 1973, the Maessens moved to Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 where they became in-demand backing vocalist

Backing vocalist

A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

s. Bianca had married a Belgian singer, Luc Smets, and the four decided to form a group called Dream Express, enjoying immediate success with a single, also called "Dream Express", which reached #2 on the Flemish

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

 chart in 1976. In 1977, Dream Express entered, and won, the Belgian Eurovision selection with the song "A Million In One, Two, Three

A Million In One, Two, Three

"A Million in One, Two, Three" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in English by Dream Express, a band consisting of Luc Smets and the three sisters Maessen; Bianca, Patricia and Stella...

". Sung in English, it was a very contemporary track which was widely regarded as one of the favourites for that year's Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 1977

The Eurovision Song Contest 1977 was the 22nd edition series, and was held on 7 May 1977 in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest was won by Marie Myriam who represented France, with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" . This was France's fifth victory, a record, which was equalled...

, held in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 on 7 May. Its seventh-place finish of 17 entrants was therefore considered something of a disappointment. Patricia left Dream Express soon afterwards, and the others carried on as LBS before disbanding in 1981.

Solo

In 1981, now billed simply as Stella, Maessen participated in the Belgian selection as a solo artist with the song "Veel te veel" ("Much Too Many"), which reached the final but failed to win. She returned in 1982 with the French language

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 song "Si tu aimes ma musique

Si Tu Aimes Ma Musique

"Si tu aimes ma musique" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982, performed in French by Stella. Stella had previously competed for the Netherlands in 1970 with her sisters in a group called Hearts of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium in the group Dream Express.The song was performed...

" ("If You Like My Music"), which was successful and went on to the 27th Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 1982

The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 24 April 1982 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The presenter was Jan Leeming. The opening of the contest showed a map of Europe, with the translation "Where is Harrogate?" popping up on-screen from...

 in Harrogate

Harrogate

Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 on 24 April. Although that year's contest proved to be a one-horse race (with a runaway German victory), Maessen managed a creditable fourth place of 18 entries, also achieving the rare distinction of receiving points from every other participating country.

Maessen continued performing and recording until 1988, when her last single, "Flashlight", was released.

In november 2010 Stella released a new single with her two sisters Bianca and Doreen Maessen as "Hearts of Soul": "Suddenly You".