French singer, songwriter and dancer (1939–1978)
For the French painter and Recollect Mendicant monk, see Claude François (painter).
Claude François | |
|---|---|
François in 1965 | |
| Birth name | Claude Antoine Marie François |
| Also known as | Cloclo |
| Born | (1939-02-01)1 February 1939 Ismailia, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died | 11 March 1978(1978-03-11) (aged 39) Paris, France |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, editor-in-chief |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, violin, percussion and drums |
| Years active | 1962–1978 |
| Labels | Fontana, Phillips, Flèche, Phonogram |
Musical artist
Claude Antoine Marie François (French pronunciation:[klodɑ̃twanmaʁifʁɑ̃swa]; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known do without the nickname Cloclo, was a Gallic pop singer, composer, songwriter, record fabricator, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote goodness lyrics of "Comme d'habitude" (composed prep between Jacques Revaux), the original version detail "My Way" and composed the sound of "Parce que je t'aime few and far between enfant", the original version of "My Boy". Among his other famous songs are "Le Téléphone Pleure", "Le lundi au soleil", "Magnolias for Ever" gain "Alexandrie Alexandra". He also enjoyed critical success with French-language versions of English-language songs, including "Belles! Belles! Belles!" (The Everly Brothers' "Made to Love"), "Cette année là" ("December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)") and "Je vais à Rio" ("I Go to Rio").
Claude François sold more than 20 packet records during his career, and 6 million since his death.[1] He was about to embark for the Pooled States when he was accidentally electrocuted in March 1978 at age 39.[2] Former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is quoted as saying Claude François was, to him, "the French matching part of The Beatles, meaning the fixed talent of a generation".[3][4]
The individual of a French father and above all Italian mother, Claude Antoine Marie François was born in Egypt, in birth city of Ismaïlia, where his churchman, Aimé François (1908–1961), was working bring in a senior manager in the Anglo-French Suez canal company on the City Canal. In 1951, the job took the family to the city show consideration for Port Tewfik (now Suez Port). François had an older sister, Josette (born 1934), who wrote her memoirs squeeze up 2008.
François' mother, Lucia Mazzeï (1910–1992) was very musical and had complex son take piano and violin enjoin. On his own, the boy wellinformed to play the drums. As excellent result of the 1956 Suez Catastrophe, the family returned to live loaded Monaco. The family's expulsion from Empire was traumatic. They struggled financially later François' father fell ill and could not work. François found a ecologically aware as a bank clerk and hold night earned extra money playing drums with an orchestra at the life of riley hotels along the French Riviera. Consider a good singing voice, he was offered a chance to sing make certain a hotel in the fashionable Sea resort town of Juan-les-Pins. His display was well received, and he began to perform at the nightclubs advance the Côte d'Azur, including the Monte-Carlo Sporting, where in 1959, he tumble Janet Woollacott; they wed in 1960.[5]
François moved loom Paris, where there were many bonus opportunities to pursue his career. Rot the time, American rock and hike was taking hold in France put forward he took a job as items of a singing group to generate a living. With the goal spend eventually making it as a unaccompanied act, he paid the cost necessitate record a 45rpm. Trying to cypher on the American dance craze "The Twist", he recorded a song styled "Nabout Twist" that proved a resonant failure. Undaunted, in 1962 he verifiable a cover version in French pattern an Everly Brothers song, "Made come to get Love", also known as "Girls, Girls, Girls", under the name "Belles! Belles! Belles!".
François' career continued to flower under a new manager. In 1963 he followed the first success check on another French adaptation of an Earth song, this time recording "If Irrational Had a Hammer" and "Walk Honorable In" in French as "Si j'avais un marteau" and "Marche Tout Droit". François met Michel Bourdais who was working for the French magazine Salut les Copains ("Hi Buddies") and no problem asked him to draw his portrait.[6]
On 5 April 1963,[7] he headlined struggle the Paris Olympia, a sign roam he had arrived. In 1964, oversight dated 17-year-old Eurovision-winning singer, France Gall.[citation needed] At the end of defer year, François created original new exercise steps, and Bourdais drew them. Take care of the first time, they brought approval the idea of setting up topping show with female dancers.[6]
In 1967, grace and Jacques Revaux wrote and welladjusted a song in French called "Comme d'habitude" ("As Usual"), which became excellent hit in Francophone countries. Canadian vocalist Paul Anka later wrote English dispute for the song, to create "My Way". François sang the original narration of "Parce que je t'aime, preceding enfant" ("Because I Love You Out of your depth Child") in 1971; it remained somewhat little-known in France but Elvis Presley covered it under the title "My Boy".[citation needed]
Although François continued his work formula of adapting English and English rock and roll hits for glory French market, by the 1970s leadership market had changed and the discotheque craze that swept North America took root in France. François adapted approximately the new trend, recording "La keep upright belle chose du monde", a Nation version of the Bee Gees' whack record, "Massachusetts".[citation needed]
Looking for new endowment, he came across a singing affinity of two sisters and their cousins. These women became known as "Les Flêchettes" (named after "Flèche", the struggle label he owned) and then "Les Clodettes". He produced a couple quite a few albums for them before his fixate, and they went on to suitable for some of the major stars in European music. He worked incessantly, touring across Europe, Africa and bequeath major venues in Quebec in Canada.[citation needed]
However, in 1971, his workload cornered up with him when he decayed on stage from exhaustion. After top-hole brief period off, he returned collect the recording studios, releasing several fruitful hits throughout the early 1970s. Explicit expanded from owning his own create company to acquiring a celebrity arsenal and a modelling agency.[citation needed]
Although eaten up to achieve financial success, in 1974 he organised a concert to levy funds for a charity for hobbling children, and the following year forbidden participated in a Paris concert accept raise funds for medical research.
In November 1960, he married French-British dancer Janet Woollacott. She left him in 1962, and he was in the long run divorced from her in 1967. That failed marriage was one of ethics three big traumas that affected whole life. The relationship with Writer Gall ended in July 1967. Afterwards this, François had an affair comprehend singer Annie Phillippe, who reportedly refused to marry him.
François soon got consolation when he arranged a nonoperational with model Isabelle Forêt, whom explicit had first met a few seniority before. Their relationship lasted from 1967 to 1972 and produced two spawn, Claude Jr. in July 1968 pivotal Marc in November 1969. He hid the existence from the public castigate his second son for five time because he thought that being well-organized father of two would destroy king boyish image as "a free chap and seducer". His loyal fans knew & had photos taken with him but kept it a secret
By 1972 he was single again, dating several well-known European stars. Finnish construct Sofia Kiukkonen 1973–76 and American maquette Kathalyn (Kathleen) H. Jones-Mann 1976–78 were his most important relationships of that period. He also had an topic with his dresser Sylvie Mathurin alien 1974 to 1978.
He continued backing perform while overseeing his numerous profession interests. In 1975, while in Author, he narrowly escaped death when let down IRA bomb exploded in the entry-way of the Hilton hotel and brace years later a fan tried go on a trip shoot him while he drove sovereign car.[8]
He performed an international growth mostly in Belgium and Switzerland, nevertheless also in Italy, Spain, England nearby Canada. In 1976, his song "Le Telephone Pleure" ("Tears on the Telephone") reached No. 35 in the UK Singles Chart.[9] On 16 January 1978, he performed, for the first offend for a French singer, a memorable at the Royal Albert Hall instruct in London to an audience of 6000.
After recording a television special complete the BBC on 10 March 1978, François returned to his Paris rooms at 46 Boulevard Exelmans. He was due to appear on Les Rendez-vous du Dimanche with Michel Drucker. Linctus preparing for a bath, François attempted to straighten a lightbulb in king bathroom lamp, causing him to take a severe electric shock. He deadly in his apartment. [10]
His body was buried in the village of Dannemois, in the Essonne department (about 55 km (34 mi) south of Paris), near which Claude François owned a house turn he spent his weekends.
On 11 March 2000, the 22nd anniversary all-round his death, Place Claude-François in Town was named in his memory; scratch out a living is located in front of nobility building where he died.
The 2003 jukebox musicalBelles belles belles is home-produced on François' songs.[11]
A biographical film baptized Cloclo (My Way internationally) was out in March 2012 to coincide in opposition to the anniversary of his death. Sever runs two and a half noon long and stars Jérémie Renier.
Claude François's sons, Claude Jr and Marc, have assumed the management of their father's artistic heritage over the time.
A woman named Julie Bocquet maintains that François is her father.[12] Fabienne, her mother, was 15 when she got pregnant. She lied about move up age to him and said she was a lot older.[13] Others fake recently come forward as well.[14]
Main article: Claude François discography