Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, politician and actor. Born in 1928 in Puglia, Italy, he was the youngest of four children. He performed at the Eurovision Song Contest three times, in 1958, 1959 and 1966, where he had nul points.
About[]
At a young age, Modugno wanted to become an actor, and in 1951, he was in an acting school. He was in a few films in Italy, and eventually became a manager to the comedy duo Franchi and Ingrassia, and got them into a long running film career in 1958.
Also in 1958, Modugno participated in the Italian Sanremo Festival, (the festival that the Eurovision Song Contest was originally based around) for the first of many times, and won with the song Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu, also known as Volare. The song was a very big success worldwide, being awarded two Grammy Awards and having over 22 million sales. It was also covered by many world-renowned artists. Volare finished third on the night with 13 points.
In 1959, Modugno won the Sanremo Festival yet again, with the song Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina). This wasn't as commercially successful as Volare, but on Eurovision night, he accumulated 9 points and came 6th.
Modugno won the Sanremo Festival again in 1962, but never got to the Eurovision, as RAI had a different way to find a participant that year. However, he did reach Eurovision in 1966 with Dio, come ti amo, but that really wasn't successful this time, as he finished last with nul points.
After Eurovision[]
Modugno acted in 44 movies and was a producer of two of them, and in the 1970s he was frequently on television, singing operas and adapting poetry.
However, in 1984 he had a severe stroke and was partially paralysed, and the consequence of that was to abandon his music and acting careers. He went into politics and was very active in social issues near the end of his life, and returned to the music scene one last time with his son, Massimo, and performed their last song together, Delfini, in 1993.
| Eurovision Song Contest 1958 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Domenico Modugno •  Corry Brokken •  André Claveau •  Solange Berry •  Alice Babs •  Raquel Rastenni •  Fud Leclerc •  Margot Hielscher •  Liane Augustin •  Lys Assia
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu • Heel de wereld • Dors, mon amour • Un grand amour • Lilla stjärna • Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog • Ma petite chatte • Für zwei Groschen Musik • Die ganze Welt braucht Liebe • Giorgio
| |||
| Eurovision Song Contest 1959 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
Jean Philippe • Birthe Wilke • Domenico Modugno •  Jacques Pills • Teddy Scholten • Alice & Ellen Kessler • Brita Borg • Christa Williams • Ferry Graf •  Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson • Bob Benny
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Oui, oui, oui, oui • Uh, jeg ville ønske jeg var dig • Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) • Mon ami Pierrot • Een beetje • Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n • Augustin • Irgendwoher • Der K und K Kalypso aus Wien • Sing, Little Birdie • Hou toch van mij
| |||
| Eurovision Song Contest 1966 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
Margot Eskens • Ulla Pia • Tonia • Michèle Torr •  Berta Ambrož •  Åse Kleveland •  Ann Christine •  Madalena Iglésias • Udo Jürgens • Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson •  Raphael • Madeleine Pascal • Téréza Kesovija • Domenico Modugno • Dominique Walter • Milly Scott •  Dickie Rock • Kenneth McKellar
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Die Zeiger der Uhr • Stop - mens legen er go' • Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel • Ce soir je t'attendais • Brez besed • Intet er nytt under solen • Playboy • Ele e ela • Merci, Chérie • Nygammal vals • Yo soy aquél • Ne vois-tu pas? • Bien plus fort • Dio, come ti amo • Chez nous • Fernando en Filippo • Come Back to Stay • A Man Without Love
| |||