François Deguelt
Encyclopedia
François Deguelt is a French singer, best known for his participation on behalf of Monaco
in the Eurovision Song Contest
s of 1960 and 1962.
Deguelt gave up his studies to become a cabaret
singer in Paris in the early 1950s. In 1956, he was the winner of the Grand Prix du Disque
of the Académie Charles Cros. Following a period of military service
in Algeria, Deguelt returned to France, and was offered the chance in 1960 to sing for Monaco in the fifth Eurovision Song Contest
, held in London on 29 March. Deguelt's song "Ce soir-là
" ("That Night") proved popular with the juries, finishing in third place of the 13 entrants.
Deguelt returned to Eurovision, again representing Monaco, in 1962
with the song "Dis rien
" ("Say Nothing"). This contest took place on 18 March in Luxembourg City, where he went one better by finishing second of 16 participants. Deguelt is one of four acts in Eurovision history (alongside Cliff Richard
, Katja Ebstein
and Chiara Siracusa) to have finished second and third without having won.
Later successful singles included "Le Ciel, le soleil et la mer" (1965), "Le printemps" (1966), "Minuit, le vent, la nuit" (1968) and "La libération" (1968). Deguelt continues to tour and perform on the nostalgia circuit throughout the Francophone world.
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
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 1960 and 1962.
Deguelt gave up his studies to become a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
singer in Paris in the early 1950s. In 1956, he was the winner of the Grand Prix du Disque
Grand Prix du Disque
The Grand Prix du Disque is the premier French award for musical recordings. The award was inaugurated by l'Académie Charles Cros in 1948 and offers prizes in various categories. The categories vary from year to year, and multiple awards are often made in any one category in the same year...
of the Académie Charles Cros. Following a period of military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
in Algeria, Deguelt returned to France, and was offered the chance in 1960 to sing for Monaco in the fifth Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
, held in London on 29 March. Deguelt's song "Ce soir-là
Ce Soir-Là
"Ce soir-là" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960, performed in French by French singer François Deguelt....
" ("That Night") proved popular with the juries, finishing in third place of the 13 entrants.
Deguelt returned to Eurovision, again representing Monaco, in 1962
Eurovision Song Contest 1962
The Eurovision Song Contest 1962 was the seventh in the series. France's win was their third and marked the first time a country had won three contests. Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain all scored "null points" for the first time....
with the song "Dis rien
Dis Rien
"Dis rien" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, performed in French by French singer François Deguelt. The song was composed by noted French jazz guitarist and singer Henri Salvador....
" ("Say Nothing"). This contest took place on 18 March in Luxembourg City, where he went one better by finishing second of 16 participants. Deguelt is one of four acts in Eurovision history (alongside Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Katja Ebstein
Katja Ebstein
Karin Witkiewicz, also known as Katja Ebstein, is a German singer. She was born in Girlachsdorf . She achieved success with songs such as Theater or Es war einmal ein Jäger. She was married to Christian Bruhn, who wrote many of her songs. She represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest...
and Chiara Siracusa) to have finished second and third without having won.
Later successful singles included "Le Ciel, le soleil et la mer" (1965), "Le printemps" (1966), "Minuit, le vent, la nuit" (1968) and "La libération" (1968). Deguelt continues to tour and perform on the nostalgia circuit throughout the Francophone world.