15 Famous Artists You Didn't Know Competed In Eurovision
12. Colm Wilkinson - Born To Sing (Ireland)
What is He Know For? Musical theater star Colm Wilkinson is best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in the 1986 musical Les Miserables.
At Eurovision (Fifth Place): Credited as Colm C.T. Wilkinson at the time, Wilkinson had an independent singer-songwriter career in the late 1970s. After his debut LP hit number one in Ireland, Wilkinson decided to enter in vocal and song competitions, which led to him representing Ireland in the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest in Paris, France. He sang first out of twenty countries with his composition Born to Sing. Wilkinson earned eighty-six points (including one twelve-point score) and landed in fifth place.
After Eurovision: Wilkinson returned to musical theater where he gained international fame for his Tony-nominated role as Jean Valjean for Les Miserables in the West End and Broadway productions. After he wrapped up his Les Miserables run, Wilkinson took on another iconic 80s musical role as the titular Phantom of the Opera in the Toronto production, where he and his family now live.
In 2012, Wilkinson made a cameo appearance as the Bishop of Digne in the film adaptation of Les Miserables, which gave the scene of the Bishop giving Valjean the silver candlesticks a symbolic subtext of passing the torch from the original Jean Valjean to Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean.