Although
Jean-Claude Pascal is best known on the international stage as an actor, he also enjoyed a flourishing career as a pop singer, in which guise he won the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Born
Jean-Claude Villeminot in Paris on October 24, 1927,
Pascal studied at the Sorbonne and originally intended to pursue a career in fashion design, working for Christian Dior. He turned to acting while working as costume designer for the play Don Juan and, in 1949, he made his movie debut in Quattro Rose Rosse. Many more movies followed, including several singing roles. These led him to be invited to represent Luxembourg at the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest, where his victorious song, "Nous les Amoureux," was coincidentally a cover of the debut French single by
Isabelle Aubret -- who would win the following year's competition for France.
Pascal continued recording in and around his movie career and would, in fact, return to Eurovision in 1981, again representing Luxembourg. "C'Est Peut-être Pas I'Amérique" finished 11th.
Pascal died on May 5, 1992. ~ Dave Thompson