Name Kirsti Sparboe | Role Actress | |
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Spouse Benny Borg (m. 1972–1978), Terje Dahl Albums Ikke Sta Og Frys - 46 Hoydepunkter (1964-94) Similar People Benny Borg, Rolf Just Nilsen, Rita Engebretsen, Helge Borglund, Anne Marit Jacobsen | ||
ESC 1965 07 - Norway - Kirsti Sparboe - Karusell
Kirsti Sparboe was born on 7 December 1946 in Tromsø, Norway. She is a musical performer and an actress. Most of her musical career has been built on participation in the widely popular Eurovision Song Contest.
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Her first participation in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1965 when she was 19, with the song "Karusell", which came in 13th place. She then participated in the 1966 Norwegian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Gi Meg Fri", which came in 2nd. In 1967, her song "Dukkemann" came in 14th place at Eurovision.
She also participated in the 1968 Norwegian pre-selection, and would have gone on to represent Norway in 1968, but the song she performed ("Jag har aldri vært så glad i no'en som deg") was disqualified after accusations of plagiarising a popular Cliff Richard song called "Summer Holiday." She also covered the winning song of that year, Spain's "La La La", in Norwegian.
She represented Norway once more in 1969 with the song "Oj, oj, oj, så glad jeg skal bli" in 1969, which finished in last place. This song was recorded in three languages (Norwegian, Swedish, and French), and years later a "Grand Jubilee" version entitled "Oj Oj Oj, Grand Prix Jubilee", was released.
Sparboe participated in the 1970 German selection for the Eurovision Song Contest after Norway, Finland, Portugal and Sweden refused to participate for that year. She sang "Pierre Der Clochard", and ended in fourth place. Sparboe also covered 1971's winning song "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue" in Norwegian.
Since the Eurovision Song Contest, she has released singles mostly in Germany, where she found moderate success. Sparboe also showed off her acting talents for a one-off BBC TV Show, Jon, Brian, Kirsti And Jon, in 1980.
In recent years the song "Ein Student Aus Uppsala" (originally written in German), has become the unofficial anthem of students at Sweden's Uppsala University, giving new popularity to Sparboe.