Claudio Villa (born Claudio Pica) was an Italian singer and actor
He first appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, representing his homeland of Italy with the song Addio, Addio. Despite a strong vocal performance, it only managed to get 3 points. Putting him in 9th out of 16 songs.
He came back five years later for the Eurovision Song Contest 1967. Likely hoping to make up for his failure the previous year with the song Non andare più lontano. It didn't fare much better, unfortunately. Only earning 4 points and placing 11th out of 17
Outside of the contest, Villa has seen much more success. He won the Sanremo Music Festival 4 times. In 1955, 1957, 1962, and 1967. This is a record he shares with Domenico Modugno. He also won Festival di Napoli in 1963 and Canzonissima in 1964 and 1966.
He died in 1987 from a heart attack. His tombstone is enscribed with the phrase "Vita sei bella, morte fai schifo" ("Life, you are fine; death, you stink")
| Eurovision Song Contest 1962 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Marion Rung •  Fud Leclerc •  Victor Balaguer •  Eleonore Schwarz •  Ellen Winther •  Inger Berggren •  Conny Froboess •  De Spelbrekers •  Isabelle Aubret •  Inger Jacobsen •  Jean Philippe •  Lola Novaković •  Ronnie Carroll •  Camillo Felgen •  Claudio Villa •  François Deguelt
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| Songs | |||
| Tipi-tii • Ton nom • Llámame • Nur in der Wiener Luft • Vuggevise • Sol och vår • Zwei kleine Italiener • Katinka • Un premier amour • Kom sol, kom regn • Le retour • Ne pali svetlo u sumrak • Ring-a-Ding Girl • Petit bonhomme • Addio, addio • Dis rien
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| Eurovision Song Contest 1967 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
Thérèse Steinmetz • Vicky Leandros • Peter Horton • Noëlle Cordier •  Eduardo Nascimento • Géraldine Gaulier • Östen Warnerbring • Fredi • Inge Brück • Louis Neefs • Sandie Shaw • Raphael • Kirsti Sparboe • Minouche Barelli • Lado Leskovar • Claudio Villa •  Sean Dunphy
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| Songs | |||
| Ring-dinge-ding • L'amour est bleu • Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt • Il doit faire beau là-bas • O vento mudou • Quel cœur vas-tu briser? • Som en dröm • Varjoon - suojaan • Anouschka • Ik heb zorgen • Puppet on a String • Hablemos del amor • Dukkemann • Boum Badaboum • Vse rože sveta • Non andare più lontano • If I Could Choose
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