Udo Jürgens was an Austrian singer-songwriter born in Klagenfurt in Austria. He participated in the Eurovision Song Contest three times consecutively for Austria in 1964, 1965 and winning in 1966.
Jürgens wrote over 800 songs and sold over 100 million records and obtained Swiss citizenship in 2007, where he lived until his cardiac arrest, resulting in his death in the country in 2014.
Matt Monro, the United Kingdom's participant in 1964, was impressed with Udo's entry that he decided to cover it with the English version known as "Walk Away". Monro also covered his 1966 song in English.
In 2007, a stage musical based on his many hits called Ich war noch niemals in New York ("I've never been to New York") first opened in Germany and inspired a 2019 feature film adaptation.
Before Jürgens passed away, he stated that he would like to be on the stage in Vienna for the interval act in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Violinist Lidia Baich paid tribute to him by performing a portion of Merci, Chérie as part of the 2015 grand final opening.
| Eurovision Song Contest 1964 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Hugues Aufray •  Anneke Grönloh •  Arne Bendiksen •  Bjørn Tidmand •  Lasse Mårtenson •  Udo Jürgens •  Rachel •  Matt Monro •  Nora Nova •  Romuald •  António Calvário •  Gigliola Cinquetti •  Sabahudin Kurt •  Anita Traversi •  Robert Cogoi •  Los TNT
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Dès que le printemps revient • Jij bent mijn leven • Spiral • Sangen om dig • Laiskotellen • Warum nur warum? • Le chant de Mallory • I Love the Little Things • Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne • Où sont-elles passées • Oração • Non ho l'età • Život je sklopio krug • I miei pensieri • Près de ma rivière • Caracola
| |||
| Eurovision Song Contest 1965 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
Conny Vandenbos • Kathy Kirby • Conchita Bautista •  Butch Moore • Ulla Wiesner • Udo Jürgens • Kirsti Sparboe • Lize Marke • Marjorie Noël •  Ingvar Wixell • Guy Mardel • Simone de Oliveira • Bobby Solo • Birgit Brüel • France Gall • Viktor Klimenko • Vice Vukov • Yovanna Fassou Kalpaxi
| |||
| Songs | |||
| 't Is genoeg • I Belong • ¡Qué bueno, qué bueno! • Walking the Streets in the Rain • Paradies, wo bist du? • Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen • Karusell • Als het weer lente is • Va dire à l'amour • Absent Friend • N'avoue jamais • Sol de inverno • Se piangi, se ridi • For din skyld • Poupée de cire, poupée de son • Aurinko laskee länteen • Čežnja • Non, à jamais sans toi
| |||
| 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
| |||
Trivia[]
- Udo is only one of three participants to win the contest performing at a piano, along with Paul Harrington in 1994 and Duncan Laurence in 2019.