Norway’s first ever Eurovision Song Contest participants, Nora Brockstedt, passed away earlier tonight, 92 years old. She died in hospital in Oslo, surrounded by her family.
Nora represented Norway in Eurovision Song Contest in the country’s debut in 1960, with the song “Voi-Voi”. She finished in 4th place, and the song is a classic, both in Norway and among Eurovision fans around he world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwRiThuK7Pc
She also represented Norway the year after, with “Sommer i Palma” (Summer in Palma), finishing 7th.
Nora made her stage debut already in 1943, and has been recording and touring ever since. She released her first solo album in 1970, and her last album was released in 2008, on her 85th birthday. During most of her career she played mainly popular music, producing radio hits in most decades, but in the last 20 years of her life she became a prominent jazz singer in Norway.
Nora followed Melodi Grand Prix closely, and was present at the final as often as she could. In 2012 all the finalists paid tribute to “the grand old lady of Norwegian pop” in this way;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmqeIJ-AotQ
