Gilbert Bécaud | |
|---|---|
 Bécaud in 1965 | |
| Born | François Gilbert Léopold Silly (1927-10-24)24 October 1927 Toulon, France |
| Died | 18 December 2001(2001-12-18) (aged 74) Boulogne-Billancourt, France |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Monsieur 100,000 Volts |
| Genres | Contemporary music,jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Composer Actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1948–2001 |
Musical artist | |
François Gilbert Léopold Silly[1] (24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001),[1] known professionally asGilbert Bécaud (French pronunciation:[ʒilbɛʁbeko]), was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts"[2] for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love". He remained a popular artist for nearly fifty years, identifiable in his dark blue suits, with a white shirt and "lucky tie"; blue with white polka dots. When asked to explain his gift he said, "A flower doesn't understand botany."[3] His favourite venue was theParis Olympia under the management ofBruno Coquatrix. He debuted there in 1954 and headlined in 1955, attracting 6,000 on his first night, three times the capacity. On 13 November 1997, Bécaud was present for the re-opening of the venue after its reconstruction.
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Born inToulon, France, Bécaud learned to play the piano at a young age, and then went to the Conservatoire de Nice.[4] In 1942, he left school to join theFrench Resistance during World War II. He began songwriting in 1948, after meeting Maurice Vidalin, who inspired him to write his early compositions. He began writing forMarie Bizet; Bizet, Bécaud and Vidalin became a successfultrio, and their partnership lasted until 1950.
In 1952, he married Monique Nicholas.[5] They had three children.[6]
While touring withJacques Pills as a pianist, Bécaud metÉdith Piaf, Pills' wife at the time. He began singing at her suggestion in 1953, with "Mes Mains" and "Les Croix". His first performance came the year after. His hits in the later part of the decade included "La Corrida" (1956), "Le Jour où la Pluie Viendra" (1957), and "C'est Merveilleux L'amour" (1958).
His first hit in the English-speaking world wasJane Morgan's cover version of "Le jour où la pluie viendra" (as "The Day the Rains Came", with English lyrics byCarl Sigman) in 1958.[4] He began acting in the same period, starting with "Le Pays D'où Je Viens" (1956). In 1960, he won aGrand Prix du Disque and composed "L'enfant à L'étoile," aChristmas cantata. That same year, "Let It Be Me",[4] an English version of his "Je t'appartiens", became a hit forthe Everly Brothers,[2] followed, over the years, byBob Dylan,Nina Simone,Elvis Presley,The 5th Dimension,[7]Willie Nelson,Jerry Butler,Sam & Dave andJames Brown.
In 1973 he married Kitty Saint-John, with whom he had two children. He died of cancer at the age of 74.[6]
In 1961, Bécaud wrote and recorded "Et Maintenant", one of the biggest selling singles in French history.[4] Translated as "What Now My Love", the song became a hit byShirley Bassey,[2]Sonny & Cher,Elvis Presley,Judy Garland,Andy Williams,Herb Alpert andFrank Sinatra.[4]
In 1962, he completed his largest composition, the 2-act operaL'Opéra d'Aran, which was premiered at theThéâtre des Champs-Élysées on 25 October 1962 (Georges Prêtre conductor).[8] The plot of the opera takes place on theAran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland, although Bécaud had never been to Ireland before.[9]
After the opera's performances, he toured Europe and continued recording a string of pop music hits, including "Crois-moi ça durera" and "Tu le regretteras". He also co-wrote "Love on the Rocks" withNeil Diamond,[2] which was featured on the soundtrack ofThe Jazz Singer and was an international hit. In addition, he co-wrote "September Morn" with Diamond.[4] Other songs he co-wrote with Diamond and are found on the album "The Jazzsinger" are "Summerlove", "On the Robert E. Lee","Hey Louise" and "Songs of Life".
Marlene Dietrich recorded his "Marie, Marie" and performed it in her stage shows.[citation needed]
He wrote the song "Nathalie" to the text byPierre Delanoë about a female Moscow guide in 1964. Bécaud visitedMoscow in 1965 allegedly invited by students.[10] The Czech writerBohumil Doležal commented that the song described the guide as aKGB officer.[11] A Russian blogger claimed that guides reported to KGB officers.[12] The song was used to soften the image of the Soviet Union, despite Pierre Delanoë's anti-Soviet views.[13]
His song "Seul sur son étoile" became "It Must Be Him" (with English lyrics byMack David), a hit in 1967 for the American singerVikki Carr,[4] and the following year another Bécaud song, "L'important c'est la rose" was given an English lyric (byNorman Newell) and became a hit for the British singerVince Hill under the title "Importance of Your Love".
On 19 June 1968, theAmerican Broadcasting Company aired a half-hour colour special starring Bécaud that had been taped inSaarbrücken. Bécaud performed "Nathalie", "Mademoiselle Lise" and "The Day the Rains Came" and sang a duet withInge Brück, "Sand and Sea". The programme also featured performances byJoão Gilberto,Lill Lindfors andHans Koller.[14]
Bécaud turned his focus more toward touring than recording in the 1970s. An example was his live performance at the festival TheGolden Orpheus in June 1971 inCommunistBulgaria. He followed this with some acting work and at last finally took time off in 1973, citing exhaustion. In 1974, he was namedChevalier in theLégion d'honneur. The following year, he scored his one and only entry on theUK Singles Chart with "A Little Love and Understanding",[4] which reached number 10 in the spring. The song also became his first and only chart hit in Australia, reaching number 19 in the winter.[15] Later in the century, he began writing with Pierre Grosz and thenNeil Diamond, also penning the Broadway musicalRoza with Julian More.[4]
In 1982, he recorded the duet "L'Amour est mort" withQuébécoise singerMartine St. Clair at the start of her career.
The 1980s and 1990s, saw a slowdown of Bécaud's activity. He released various compilations and toured occasionally.
On 18 December 2001, he died fromlung cancer, aged 74,[16][2] on his houseboat on theSeine,[4] and was interred inPère Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Bécaud's song catalogue, running to around 450 songs,[2] is published byBMG Music Publishing.
Bécaud's song "L'Orange" was the featured track in one of the trailers of the movieLéon (akaThe Professional) byLuc Besson.
Plus rarities:
Emblematic songs and compositions:
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