Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of "

Comme d'habitude "" (, French for "As usual") is a French song about routine in a relationship falling out of love, composed in 1967 by Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and . In 1968 the song was adapted by David Bowie and given new lyrics to crea ...

" (composed by Jacques Revaux), the original version of "

My Way "My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...

" and composed the music of "Parce que je t'aime mon enfant", the original version of "

My Boy "My Boy" is a popular song from the early 1970s. The music was composed by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François, and the lyrics were translated from the original version "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" (Because I Love You My Child) into E ...

". Among his other famous songs are "

Le Téléphone Pleure "Le Téléphone Pleure" was a 1974 hit single by French artist Claude François. It was released on Disques Flèche/Phonogram. The song was re-recorded in English as "Tears on the Telephone" and was a hit in the British charts in 1976. Italian si ...

", "Le lundi au soleil", "Magnolias for Ever" and "Alexandrie Alexandra". He also enjoyed considerable success with French-language versions of English-language songs, including "Belles! Belles! Belles!" (

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

' "Made to Love"), "Cette année là" ("

December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" is a song originally performed by the Four Seasons, written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, produced by Gaudio, and included on the group's album, ''Who Lov ...

") and "Je vais à Rio" ("

I Go to Rio "I Go to Rio" is a song written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson, and performed by Allen. It became a signature song of Allen, as well as being covered by Peggy Lee and Pablo Cruise, among others, in addition to being subject to multiple sou ...

"). François sold some 35 million records during his career (and after his death) and was about to embark for the United States when he was accidentally electrocuted in March 1978 at age 39. Former French President

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...

is quoted as saying Claude François was, to him, "the French equivalent of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, meaning the great talent of a generation".

Early life

The son of a French father and a

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n mother, Claude Antoine Marie François was born in Egypt, in the city of

Ismaïlia Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...

, where his father, Aimé François (1908–1961), was working as a senior manager in the Anglo-French Suez canal company on the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

. In 1951, the job took the family to the city of

Port Tewfik The Suez Port is an Egyptian port located at the southern boundary of the Suez Canal. It is bordered by the imaginary line extending from Ras-El-Adabieh to Moussa sources including the North Coast until the entrance of Suez Canal. Originally ''Port ...

(now

Suez Port The Suez Port is an Egyptian port located at the southern boundary of the Suez Canal. It is bordered by the imaginary line extending from Ras-El-Adabieh to Moussa sources including the North Coast until the entrance of Suez Canal. Originally ''Port ...

). François had an older sister, Josette (born 1934), who wrote her memoirs in 2008. François' mother, Lucia Mazzeï (1910–1992) was very musical and had her son take piano and violin lessons. On his own, the boy learned to play the drums. As a result of the 1956

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...

, the family returned to live in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

. The family's expulsion from Egypt was traumatic. They struggled financially after François' father fell ill and could not work. François found a job as a bank clerk and at night earned extra money playing drums with an orchestra at the luxury hotels along the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

. With a good singing voice, he was offered a chance to sing at a hotel in the fashionable Mediterranean resort town of

Juan-les-Pins Juan-les-Pins (; oc, Joan dei Pins) is a town in the commune of Antibes in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, it is situated between Nice and Cannes, to the southwest of Nice Côte d'Azur Airport ...

. His show was well received, and he began to perform at the nightclubs along the

Côte d'Azur The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

, including the

Monte-Carlo Sporting The Monte-Carlo Sporting (french: Sporting Monte-Carlo), also known as Sporting d'été, is a building complex in Larvotto, Monaco. It includes the Salle des Etoiles, a concert hall, and it is the main venue for society fundraisers in Monaco. Hi ...

, where in 1959, he met

Janet Woollacott Janet Edith Woollacott (November 4, 1939 in Carlton, England – November 13, 2011 in Clamart, Hauts-de-Seine) was a British-born French singer of the 1960s to 2000s. Biography Woollacott was a dancer on the Côte d'Azur aged 20 when she met Claud ...

; they wed in 1960.

Professional career and personal life

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann

François moved to Paris, where there were many more opportunities to pursue his career. At the time, American

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

was taking hold in France and he took a job as part of a singing group to make a living. With the goal of eventually making it as a solo act, he paid the cost to record a

45rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

. Trying to capitalise on the American dance craze " The Twist", he recorded a song titled "Nabout Twist" that proved a resounding failure. Undaunted, in 1962 he recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

in French of an

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

song, "Made to Love", aka "Girls, Girls, Girls", under the name "Belles! Belles! Belles!". François' career continued to blossom under a new manager. In 1963 he followed the first success with another French adaptation of an American song, this time recording "

If I Had a Hammer "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a protest song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It was written in 1949 in support of the Progressive movement, and was first recorded by the Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, ...

" and "

Walk Right In "Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929. Victor Records released on a 78 rpm record and in 1959, it was included on the influential compilation album ''The Cou ...

" in French as " Si j'avais un marteau" and " Marche Tout Droit". François met Michel Bourdais who was working for the well-known French magazine '' Salut les Copains'' ("Hi Buddies") and he asked him to draw his portrait. Richard Anthony, ''Quand on choisit la liberté…'', éditions Florent Massot, octobre 2010 (French) Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963

Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963

On 5 April 1963, he headlined at the

Paris Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra G ...

, a sign that he had arrived. In 1964, he groomed 17-year-old

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

-winning singer,

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...

. At the end of that year, François created original new dance steps, and Michel Bourdais drew them. For the first time, they brought up the idea of setting up a show with female dancers. In 1967, he and

Jacques Revaux Jacques Abel Jules Revaud (; born 11 July 1940), known as Jacques Revaux (), is a French songwriter, most famous for his 1968 writing collaboration with singer Claude François on the song "Comme d'habitude", whose text was reworked by Canadian si ...

wrote and composed a song in French called "

" ("As Usual"), which became a hit in Francophone countries. Canadian singing star

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

reworked it for the English-speaking public into the now legendary hit most famously sung by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

as "

". He sang the original version of "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" ("Because I Love You My Child") in 1971; it remained relatively little-known in France but

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

covered it under the title "

". Although François continued his successful formula of adapting English and American rock and roll hits for the French market, by the 1970s the market had changed and the disco craze that swept North America took root in France. This was no problem for the versatile François; he simply re-invented himself as the king of French disco, recording "La plus belle chose du monde", a French version of the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

' hit record, "

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4

Looking for new talent, he came across a singing family of two sisters and their cousins. These women became known as " Les Flêchettes" (named after "Flèche", the production label he owned) and then "Les Clodettes". He produced a couple of albums for them before his death, and they went on to sing for some of the major stars in European music. He worked non-stop, touring across Europe, Africa and at major venues in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

in Canada. However, in 1971, his workload caught up with him when he collapsed on stage from exhaustion. After a brief period off, he returned to the recording studios, releasing several best-selling hits throughout the early 1970s. He expanded from owning his own record company to acquiring a celebrity magazine and a

modelling agency A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and/or the head agency. The top agencies work with bi ...

Philanthropy

Although driven to achieve financial success, in 1974 he organised a concert to raise funds for a charity for handicapped children, and the following year he participated in a Paris concert to raise funds for medical research.

Personal life

In November 1960, he married dancer French-British

. She left him in 1962, and he was finally divorced from her in 1967. This failed marriage was one of the three big traumas that affected his whole life. The relationship with France Gall ended in July 1967. After this, François had an affair with singer Annie Phillippe, who reportedly refused to marry him. François soon got consolation when he arranged a date with model Isabelle Forêt, whom he had first met a few years before. Their relationship lasted from 1967 to 1972 and produced two sons, Claude Jr. in July 1968 and Marc in November 1969. He hid the existence of his second son for five years because he thought that being a father of two would destroy his boyish image as "a free man and seducer". By 1972 he was single again, dating several well-known European stars. Finnish model Sofia Kiukkonen 1973–76 and American model Kathalyn (Kathleen) H. Jones-Mann 1976–78 were his most important relationships of this period. He also had an affair with his dresser Sylvie Mathurin from 1974 to 1978. He continued to perform while overseeing his numerous business interests. In 1975, while in London, he narrowly escaped death when an

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

bomb exploded in the lobby of the Hilton hotel and two years later a fan tried to shoot him while he drove his car. In 1977–78, more than 15 years after his first hit record, he was still topping the musical charts with multi-million sales from hits such as "Alexandrie Alexandra" (which was released on the day of his burial) and performing to large audiences.

International career

He performed an international career mostly in Belgium and Switzerland, but also in Italy, Spain, England and Canada. In 1976, his song " Le Telephone Pleure" ("Tears on the Telephone") reached No. 35 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. On 16 January 1978, he performed, for the first time for a French singer, a gala at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London to an audience of 6000.

Death

After working in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

on 9 and 10 March and recording a television special for the BBC on Saturday, 11 March 1978, François returned to his Paris apartment, 46 Boulevard Exelmans, to appear, the next day, on ''Les Rendez-vous du Dimanche'' with TV host

Michel Drucker Michel Drucker, CQ (born 12 September 1942 in Vire) is a popular French journalist and TV host. He has been on screen for so long on various shows and different networks, both public and private, that he once said that some people joked that h ...

. While taking a bath, he noticed that the light fixture was not straight on the wall; he stood up, tried to straighten it and was electrocuted. His body was buried in the village of

Dannemois Dannemois () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. Inhabitants of Dannemois are known as ''Dannemoisiens''. Personalities *Claude François, French singer, had a home in Dannemois. See also *Communes of t ...

, in the

Essonne Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perfo ...

Belles belles belles ''Belles belles belles'' is a French jukebox musical written by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Daniel Moyne, based on the songs of French singer Claude François (1939-1978). The musical arrangements are by Carolin Petit. It was the first French jukeb ...

'' is based on François' songs. A biographical film called ''Cloclo'' (''

'' internationally) was released in March 2012 to coincide with the anniversary of his death. It runs two and a half hours long and stars

Jérémie Renier (; born 6 January 1981) is a Belgian actor. His film debut was in the critically praised (1996), directed by the Dardenne brothers. He became better known to worldwide audiences in ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'' (2001) and (2005). The latter ...

. Claude François's sons, Claude Jr and Marc, have assumed the management of their father's artistic heritage over the years.

Controversies

A woman named Julie Bocquet maintains that François is her father. Fabienne, her mother, was 15 when she got pregnant. Others have recently come forward as well.

Discography

Albums

*2012: ''Génération Cloclo'' *2012: ''30 ans – Édition aniversaire'' (Compilation album)

Singles

* "Nabout Twist" (Claude François) * "Belles! Belles! Belles!" ("Made to Love",

Phil Everly The Everly Brothers were an American rock music, rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (Januar ...

/Claude François/

Vline Buggy V/Line is a statutory authority that operates Commuter rail, regional passenger train and Intercity bus service, coach services in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight ...

) * "Vénus en blue-jeans" ("

Venus in Blue Jeans "Venus in Blue Jeans" is a 1962 song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller. It was recorded in 1962 by Jimmy Clanton and reached on the Billboard charts, and on the CHUM Chart in Canada. The song was also recorded that year by Mark Wyn ...

") * "Pauvre petite fille riche" (

Hubert Giraud Hubert Yves Adrian Giraud (3 March 1920 – 16 January 2016) was a French composer and lyricist. Career Giraud began his career playing the harmonica with Django Reinhardt's jazz group, the Quintette du Hot Club de France. In 1941, he was recru ...

/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Si j'avais un marteau" ("

Lee Hays Lee Elhardt Hays (March 14, 1914 – August 26, 1981) was an American folksinger and songwriter, best known for singing bass with the Weavers. Throughout his life, he was concerned with overcoming racism, inequality, and violence in soci ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "J'y pense et puis j'oublie" ("It Comes and Goes", Bill Anderson/Claude François) * "Donna Donna" ("

Dona, Dona "Dona Dona", popularly known as "Donna, Donna", is a song about a calf being led to slaughter, written by Sholom Secunda and Aaron Zeitlin. Originally a Yiddish language song "Dana Dana" (in Yiddish דאַנאַ דאַנאַ), also known as "Dos ...

Sholom Secunda Sholom Secunda (, Oleksandriia, Alexandria, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire13 June 1974, New York City, New York) was an American composer of History of the Jews in Ukraine, Ukrainian-Jewish descent, best known for the tunes of ''Bei Mir Bistu ...

/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Je sais" (Claude François/

Gérard Gustin Gérard (French: ) is a French masculine given name and surname of Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constitue ...

/Vline Buggy) * "Quand un bateau passe" ("

Trains and Boats and Planes "Trains and Boats and Planes" is a song written by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. Hit versions were recorded by Bacharach himself in 1965, by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas in the same year, and by Dionne Warwick in 1966. Origi ...

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David ...

/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Même si tu revenais" ( Bernard Kesslair/Claude François/ Jacques Chaumelle) * "Mais combien de temps" (Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Reviens-moi vite" (Claude François) * "J'attendrai" ("

Reach Out I'll Be There "Reach Out I'll Be There" (also formatted as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by the Four Tops from their fourth studio album '' Reach Out'' (1967). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, ...

Holland–Dozier–Holland Holland–Dozier–Holland was a songwriting and production team consisting of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland. The trio wrote, arranged and produced many songs that helped define the Motown sound in the 1960s. During ...

/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Mais quand le matin" ( Eric Charden/Claude François/

Gilles Thibaut The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 am until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as La Louvière and Nivelles, have a traditi ...

) * "Comme d'habitude" (

/Claude François/Gilles Thibaut) * "Pardon" (

Jean Renard Jean Renard (born 12 July 1932) is a Belgian boxer. He competed in the men's bantamweight event at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the G ...

/Claude François/Gilles Thibaut) * "Aussi loin" ( Reg Guest/Claude François/Gilles Thibaut) * "Avec la tête, Avec le cœur" (Claude François/ Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/

Yves Dessca Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fren ...

/Vline Buggy) * "Reste" ("

Beggin' "Beggin" is a song composed by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina and first released as a single by American band the Four Seasons in 1967. Initially charting at number 16 in the US, the song became popular in the Northern soul scene in the United Ki ...

Bob Gaudio Robert John Gaudio (born November 17, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the pop/rock band the Four Seasons. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced the vast majori ...

Peggy Farina Peggy may refer to: People * Peggy (given name), people with the given name or nickname Arts and entertainment * ''Peggy'' (musical), a 1911 musical comedy by Stuart and Bovill * ''Peggy'' (album), a 1977 Peggy Lee album * ''Peggy'' (1916 ...

Jacques Plante Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played ...

) * "Dans les orphelinats" (Claude François/Gilles Thibaut) * "Un monde de musique" (Claude François/

Ralph Bernet Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

) * "Une petite fille aux yeux rouges" (Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Claude François/Vline Buggy) * "Un jour ou l'autre" (Claude François/Jacques Plante) * "Cherche" (" Show Me",

Joe Tex Yusuf Hazziez (born Joseph Arrington Jr.; August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), known professionally as Joe Tex, was an American singer and musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the style ...

/Claude François) * "Mon cœur est une maison vide" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/

/Vline Buggy) * "Tout éclate tout explose" ("Love Explosions",

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

/ George Kerr/Jacques Plante) * "C'est de l'eau, c'est du vent" (

Alice Dona Alice Donadel, stagename Alice Dona (Maisons-Alfort, 17 February 1946) is a French singer and songwriter. Born to an Italian father from Veneto and a French mother, both musicians. As a singer she recorded 11 singles from 1963 to 1965 among them ...

Pierre Delanoë Pierre Delanoë (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), born Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer in Paris, France, was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including Dalida, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Pet ...

) * "Le monde est grand, les gens sont beaux" ("Beautiful World, Beautiful People",

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

Eddy Marnay Edmond Bacri known by the professional name Eddy Marnay ( Algiers, 18 December 1920 – 3 January 2003), was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 4000 songs, including works for Édith Piaf, Frida Boccara and Céline Dion. H ...

) * "Si douce à mon souvenir" ("

Gentle on My Mind "Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, '' Earthwords & Music'' (1967). Hartford composed the song after watching ''Doctor Zhivago'' in 1966, as he was i ...

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kno ...

/Claude François/ Colette Rivat) * "Parce que je t'aime mon enfant" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Yves Dessca) * "C'est la même chanson" ("

It's the Same Old Song "It's the Same Old Song" was recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. It was released in 1965 as the second single from their second album. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is toda ...

", Holland–Dozier–Holland/Claude François/ Colette Rivat) * "Et pourtant le temps passe" (Claude François/ Paul Sebastian/ Lana Sebastian/Michaële) * "Je vais mieux" (Claude François) * "Bye bye petite Julie" (Claude François) * "Plus rien qu'une adresse en commun" (

Alain Chamfort Alain Chamfort (born Alain Joseph Yves Le Govic; 2 March 1949) is a French singer of Breton origin. Life and career Chamfort was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice. His first band The Dreamers h ...

/Yves Dessca) * "Il fait beau, il fait bon" ("

Freedom Come, Freedom Go "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" is a pop song by The Fortunes. It was the third of three releases from their ''That Same Old Feeling'' album, and saw the band revive their fortunes by working in a Britgum idiom. The song became an international hit i ...

Roger Greenaway Roger John Reginald Greenaway, (born 23 August 1938) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for his collaborations with Roger Cook. His compositions have included "You've Got Your Troubles" and the transatlantic mill ...

/ Roger Cook/

) * "Seule une romance" (Claude François/Eddy Marnay) * "Y'a le printemps qui chante (Viens à la maison)" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/ Jean-Michel Rivat/ Frank Thomas) * "En attendant" (Claude François/ Michèle Vendôme) * "Le Lundi au soleil" (

Patrick Juvet Patrick Juvet (21 August 1950 – ca. 1 April 2021) was a Swiss model and singer-songwriter, who had a string of hit records in Europe. While his early career was focused on making pop records, he found international success as a disco music p ...

/Jean-Michel Rivat/Frank Thomas) * "Belinda" ("Miss Belinda", Des Parton/Eddy Marnay) * "Je viens dîner ce soir" (Paul Sebastian/Lana Sebastian/Michaële) * "Je t'embrasse" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Yves Dessca/ Jean-Michel Rivat) * "À part ça la vie est belle" ("By the Devil I Was Tempted",

Doug Flett Douglas Jackson Flett (13 October 1935 – 15 July 2019) was an Australian songwriter based in the UK, best known for his collaborations with longtime songwriting partner, Guy Fletcher. Collectively, the duo have also been known as Fletcher & Fl ...

Guy Fletcher Guy Edward Fletcher (born 24 May 1960) is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as one of the two Keyboard instrument, keyboard players in the rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his subs ...

/ Eddy Marnay) * "Sha la la (Hier est près de moi)" (" Yesterday Once More", Richard Carpenter/Eddy Marnay) * "Chanson populaire" (Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/ Nicolas Skorsky/Claude François) * "Le mal aimé" (" Daydreamer",

Terry Dempsey Terence M. "Terry" Dempsey (February 17, 1932 - September 2, 2023) was an American politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented the old House districts 23A and 28B, which included all or portions of Bro ...

/Eddy Marnay) * "La musique américaine" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Jean-Michel Rivat) * "

Le téléphone pleure "Le Téléphone Pleure" was a 1974 hit single by French artist Claude François. It was released on Disques Flèche/Phonogram. The song was re-recorded in English as "Tears on the Telephone" and was a hit in the British charts in 1976. Italian si ...

" (Claude François /Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Frank Thomas) * "Toi et moi contre le monde entier" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Eddy Marnay) * "Soudain il ne reste qu'une chanson" (" I'll Be Around",

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 27th, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist, and composer known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He found success as a producer ...

/ Philip Hurtt/Jean-Michel Rivat) * "Le chanteur malheureux" (Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/ Martial Carceles/Jean-Michel Rivat/Michel Renard) * "Joue quelque chose de simple" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Jean-Michel Rivat) * "Le spectacle est terminé" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Eddy Marnay) * "Pourquoi pleurer (sur un succès d'été)" ("

Please Mr. Please "Please Mr. Please" is a song written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill, both members of British pop singer Cliff Richard's backing band, The Shadows.Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits'' (Billboard Publication ...

Bruce Welch Bruce Welch (born 2 November 1941 as Bruce Cripps) is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows. Biography Welch's parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) moved him to 15 B ...

John Rostill John Henry Rostill (16 June 1942 – 26 November 1973) was an English musician, bassist and composer, recruited by the Shadows to replace Brian Locking. Biography Born in Kings Norton, Birmingham, England, Rostill attended Rutlish School in s ...

/Frank Thomas) * "17 ans" ("

At Seventeen "At Seventeen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janis Ian from her seventh studio album ''Between the Lines''. Columbia released it in July 1975 as the album's second single. Ian wrote the lyrics on the basis of a ''The New York Times'' ...

Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit " Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and the 1975 Top T ...

/Frank Thomas) * "Une chanson française" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/ Nicolas Skorsky) * "Sale bonhomme" ("

Nasty Dan "Nasty Dan" is an American folk song written by Jeff Moss, who also wrote "Rubber Duckie". It was first recorded and released by Johnny Cash in 1975. A version of the song is on his album ''The Johnny Cash Children's Album''. Cash performed the son ...

Jeff Moss Jeffrey Arnold "Jeff" Moss (June 19, 1942 – September 24, 1998) was an American composer, lyricist, playwright and television writer, best known for his award-winning work on the children's television series ''Sesame Street''. Early life ...

/Eddy Marnay) * "Dors petit homme (La chèvre grise)" (Claude François/Eddy Marnay) * " Cette année-là" ("

/Eddy Marnay) * "La solitude c'est après" (

André Popp André Charles Jean Popp (19 February 1924 – 10 May 2014) was a French composer, arranger and screenwriter. Biography Popp was born into a family of German-Dutch background, in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée. He started his career as a church org ...

Gilbert Sinoué Gilbert Sinoué (born 18 February 1947 in Cairo, Egypt) is a classically trained guitarist and author who has lived in France since the age of 19. He has won major French literary awards for his books, which are written in French. Many of his ...

) * "Le vagabond" (

Cyril Assous Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varian ...

/Eddy Marnay) * "Danse ma vie" (Claude François /Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/

) * "Quelquefois" (duet with

Martine Clemenceau Martine is a feminine given name and a surname. Given name * Martine Aubry (born 1950), French politician * Martine Audet (born 1961), Canadian poet * Martine Aurillac (born 1939), French politician * Martine Baay-Timmerman (born 1958), Dutch pol ...

) (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Vline Buggy) * "Je vais à Rio" ("

", Peter Allen/Eddy Marnay) * "Les anges, les roses et la pluie" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Vline Buggy) * "Toi et le soleil" ("

I Can See Clearly Now "I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by American singer Johnny Nash. It was the lead single from his album I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash album), ''I Can See Clearly Now'' and achieved success in the United States and the U ...

Johnny Nash John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists ...

/Eddy Marnay) * "C'est comme ça que l'on s'est aimé" (Duet with Kathalyn Jones) (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Vline Buggy) * " Écoute ma chanson" (

Toto Cutugno Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (; born 7 July 1943) is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for his worldwide hit song, "L'Italiano", released on his 1983 album of the same title. Cutugno also won the Eurovision Song Conte ...

/Claude François/

) * "Et je t'aime tellement" (" And I Love You So",

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

/Claude François) * "Magnolias for Ever" (Claude François /Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/

Étienne Roda-Gil Étienne Roda-Gil (1 August 1941 in Septfonds, Tarn-et-Garonne, France – 31 May 2004 in Paris) was a songwriter and screenwriter. He was an anarchist and an anarcho-syndicalist. Biography Roda-Gil was born in the Septfonds internment camp to r ...

) * " Alexandrie Alexandra" (Claude François/Jean-Pierre Bourtayre/Etienne Roda-Gill) * " Bordeaux rosé (Eddy Pumer/

Peter Daltrey Peter James Daltrey (born 25 March 1946 in Bow, East London, England) is an English musician. He has been the lead singer and chief songwriter for the bands Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour. He is also a solo artist. Biography After the de ...

)

English songs

* "Go Where the Sun Is Brighter" ("Viens à la maison", English lyrics by

Norman Newell Norman Newell (25 January 1919 – 1 December 2004) was an English record producer, who was mainly active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the songwriter, co-writer of many notable songs. As an A&R manager for EMI, he worked with musicians su ...

) * "Monday Morning Again" ("Le lundi au soleil", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "Love Will Call the Tune" ("Chanson populaire", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "Hello Happiness" (original song by

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

, lyrics by Les Reed and

) * "Tears on the Telephone" ("

") * "I Know" ("Je sais", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "You Are" ("Une chanson française", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "My Boy" ("Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant", English lyrics by Phil Coulter & Bill Martin) * "My World of Music" ("Un monde de musique", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "Crying in His Heart" ("Avec le cœur, avec la tête", English lyrics by Norman Newell) * "

" ("Comme d'habitude", English lyrics by

) * "

I Believe in Father Christmas "I Believe in Father Christmas" is a song by English musician Greg Lake with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song, this was not Lake's intention. He said that he wrote the song in protest at the commercia ...

" (original song by

Greg Lake Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Born and b ...

) * "Stop, Stop, Stop" * "Keep on Driving"

References

External links

Claude Francois biography
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Francois, Claude 1939 births 1978 deaths Accidental deaths by electrocution Accidental deaths in France Burials in France Egyptian emigrants to France French disco singers French people of Italian descent French pop singers People from Ismailia Governorate People of Calabrian descent Philips Records artists People from Ismailia French people of Calabrian descent Fontana Records artists Phonogram Inc. artists 20th-century French male singers French male singer-songwriters French singer-songwriters