eurovision 1965
Ingvar Wixell
Ingvar Wixell represented Sweden at Eurovision 1965 in Naples with “Absent Friend”, finishing 10th of 18.
- who
- Swedish opera singer
- born
- 7 May 1931, Luleå Cathedral Assembly, Sweden
- died
- 8 October 2011 (aged 80), Malmö Sankt Pauli parish, Sweden
- contest
- 1965
- best result
- 10th, 1965
- music
- opera
- voice
- baritone
- active
- from 1955
- sang for
- Sweden
Biography
Ingvar Wixell, who died in 2011, was a Swedish baritone with an international career in opera and concerts that ran from 1955 to 2003, mostly in the Italian repertory. “Absent Friend” finished tenth for Sweden in Naples in 1965.
Written by ESC Predictions, 8 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, “Ingvar Wixell”.
Follow and listen
The act’s own accounts, as listed on Wikidata. If one is wrong or out of date, tell us and we’ll take it down.
At Eurovision
One song, and what became of it.
-
1965 Naples
“Absent Friend”
10th of 18 Finished 10th of 18, with 6 points.
- Sung in
- English
- Written by
- Alf Henrikson, Dag Wirén
- Conductor
- William Lind
- Running order
- 10th of 18
- Age on the night
- 33
- Won that year
- Luxembourg: France Gall, “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”
Away from Eurovision
Awards
- Litteris et Artibus 1978
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1979
As recorded on Wikidata, which is rarely the whole list.
In the drama file
The scene from our index of scandals, mishaps and lore that Ingvar Wixell is part of.
- 1965 Sweden sings in English The rules that made the contest
In our contest stories
What we wrote about Ingvar Wixell, year by year. Follow a link for the rest of that night.
- 1965 Sweden sings in English
Nothing in the rules said which language a song had to be in. It was simply understood that countries sang in their own. Sweden's Ingvar Wixell sang "Absent Friend" entirely in English.
Results as published by the European Broadcasting Union. Biographical details from Wikidata. The photo is from Wikimedia Commons and is credited beside it. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.