Colm Wilkinson is an Irish singer and actor best known worldwide for originating the role of Jean Valjean in the 1985 London production of Les Misérables (also reprising his role on Broadway and appearing as the Bishop of Digne in the 2012 film adaptation) and the role of the Phantom in the 1989 Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera.
He represented his native Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 in Paris with the self-composed song Born to Sing. According to The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History, his energetic vocal performance was said to have "blasted the ears of those present in the Palais de Congrès". Nonetheless, he achieved 5th place, which included a top score of 12 points from Norway.
He emigrated to Canada in 1989 and currently lives with his family in Toronto.
| Eurovision Song Contest 1978 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Colm Wilkinson •  Jahn Teigen •  Ricchi e Poveri •  Seija Simola •  Gemini •  Joël Prévost •  José Vélez •  Co-Co •  Carol Vinci •  Jean Vallée •  Harmony •  Nilüfer & Nazar •  Ireen Sheer •  Caline & Olivier Toussaint •  Tania Tsanaklidou •  Mabel •  Baccara •  Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta •  Springtime •  Björn Skifs
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Born to Sing • Mil Etter Mil • Questo amore • Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus • Da li dou • Il y aura toujours des violons • Bailamos un vals • Bad Old Days • Vivre • L'amour ça fait chanter la vie • 't Is OK • Sevince • Feuer • Les jardins de Monaco • Charlie Chaplin • Boom Boom • Parlez-vous français? • A-Ba-Ni-Bi • Mrs. Caroline Robinson • Det blir alltid värre framåt natten
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Trivia[]
- Colm worked on Les Misérables with Michael Ball and Frances Ruffelle, who would later represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision in 1992 and 1994.