Dorothée Blank

Frédérique Hoschedé (born 14 July 1953 in Paris), better known by the stage name Dorothée, is a French singer and television presenter. She was a continuity announcer on French public broadcaster Antenne 2 from 1977 to 1983, but she is best known for having presented children's television shows like ''Les mercredis de la jeunesse'' (''Youth Wednesdays'', 1973), ''Dorothée et ses amis'' (''Dorothée and Friends'', 1977–1978), ''Récré A2'' (''A2 Break Time'', 1978–1987), and especially ''Club Dorothée'' (1987–1997), which totalled up to about 30 hours of broadcast per week and popularized Japanese animation in France (with titles like '' Dragon Ball'', ''Saint Seiya'', ''City Hunter'' or ''Hokuto no Ken'', sparking controversy and complaints from the CSA as well as some political figures for their violent content).

She is also a singer with a large discography (one album per year on average between 1980 and 1996), singing pop music for children, and she has also recorded the best-known French traditional nursery rhymes in a record collection called ''Le jardin des chansons'' (''The Garden of Songs''). Several of her songs were used for the openings of animated series featured in ''Club Dorothée'' (including "Candy" and "Sophie et Virginie"). One of her trademarks is that each of her albums, from ''Hou ! la menteuse'' in 1982 to ''Dorothée 2010'', featured a song with the word "valise" (suitcase) in its title, with a similar melody but a different arrangement and partially updated lyrics, totalling 16 "valise" songs.

Between 1990 and 1996, Dorothée did 56 shows at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (now called AccorHotels Arena), still the record for a female artist and the third-highest total number of concerts in this venue behind Michel Sardou and Johnny Hallyday. In addition, her 1992 tour attracted more people in France than Johnny Hallyday and Michael Jackson, earning her a "Fauteuil d'Or" award for more than 500,000 tickets sold.

Later in her musical career, Dorothée developed a particular interest in early rock music. In 1993 and 1994, she presented three special prime-time shows called ''Dorothée Rock'n'roll Show'', in which she sang duets with major rock and roll and rhythm and blues artists including Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Cliff Richard, Henri Salvador, Percy Sledge, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, with whom she sang "Great Balls of Fire", which also featured on her album ''Une histoire d'amour'' (1992). Her 1994 album ''Nashville Tennessee'' was recorded in the titular city of Nashville, in the recording studio made famous by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley.

Dorothée had a brief stint in cinema, appearing in three movies between 1979 and 1980, including a prominent role in '' L'amour en fuite'' by François Truffaut. She also made a cameo appearance in the 2019 live action Nicky Larson movie.

Discography

Albums

* 1980 : ''Dorothée au pays des chansons''
* 1981 : ''Dorothée & les récré amis chantent''
* 1981 : ''Candy raconte à Dorothée''
* 1982 : ''Hou ! la menteuse''
* 1983 : ''Pour faire une chanson''
* 1983 : ''Les Schtroumpfs''
* 1984 : ''Qu'il est bête!'' (certified gold)
* 1984 : ''Schtroumpfs parade''
* 1985 : ''Allô Allô M. l'Ordinateur'' (certified gold)
* 1986 : ''Maman'' (certified gold)
* 1987 : ''Docteur''
* 1988 : ''Attention Danger'' (certified platinum)
* 1989 : ''Tremblement de terre'' (2x certified gold)
* 1990 : ''Live à Bercy''
* 1990 : ''Chagrin d'amour'' (certified gold)
* 1991 : ''Les neiges de l'Himalaya''
* 1992 : ''Une histoire d'amour''
* 1993 : ''Bercy 93''
* 1993 : ''2394''
* 1994 : ''Nashville Tennessee''
* 1995 : ''Bonheur City''
* 1996 : ''La Honte de la famille''
* 2010 : ''Dorothée 2010''

Compilations

* 1980 : ''Les feuilletons de Récré A2''
* 1982 : ''Les feuilletons de Récré A2'' (2nd edition)
* 1988 : ''Les super chansons''
* 1990 : ''Top Dorothée''
* 1994 : ''Cristal''
* 1997 : ''15 ans d'amour''
* 1998 : ''Le jardin des chansons''
* 2004 : ''Les plus belles chansons'' (2nd edition of ''15 ans d'amour'')
* 2006 : ''Dorothée BERCY''
* 2016 : ''Dorothée : L'essentiel'' (Best of + 7 unreleased songs)

Main singles

* 1980 : "Musique magique"
* 1981 : "Tchou ! Tchou ! Le petit train"
* 1981 : " Rox & Rouky"
* 1982 : "Enfin récré A2 !"
* 1982 : "Hou la menteuse / La valise" ( SNEP: Silver)
* 1983 : "Pour faire une chanson"
* 1983 : " Les Schtroumpfs" (certified platinum)
* 1984 : "Qu'il est bête !"
* 1984 : " Les petits Ewoks"
* 1985 : "Vive les vacances"
* 1985 : "Allô Allô M. l'Ordinateur" (SNEP: Silver)
* 1986 : "Tant qu'on a des amis"
* 1986 : "Maman" (SNEP: Silver)
* 1987 : "Où se cache l'amour"
* 1987 : "Le sourire du dragon" (French opening theme of Dungeons and Dragons)
* 1987 : "La chanson des Ewoks"
* 1987 : "Docteur"
* 1988 : "La chanson de Candy"
* 1988 : "Attention danger"
* 1989 : "La machine avalé"
* 1989 : "Tremblement de terre"
* 1990 : "Nicolas & Marjolaine"
* 1990 : "Chagrin d'amour"
* 1991 : "Un jour on se retrouvera"
* 1991 : "Valise Ninety One"
* 1991 : "Les neiges de l'Himalaya"
* 1992 : "Le collège des cœurs brisés"
* 1992 : "Où est le garçon"
* 1992 : "Une histoire d'amour"
* 1993 : "Toutes les guitares du rock'n'roll"
* 1993 : "Bats-toi"
* 1993 : "Il faut chanter"
* 1993 : "2394"
* 1994 : "Si j'ai menti"
* 1994 : "Chanson pour un garçon"
* 1994 : "Non non-ne dis pas"
* 1995 : "Folle de vous"
* 1995 : "Des millions de copains"
* 1995 : "Bonheur City"
* 1996 : "Je rêve"
* 1996 : "La honte de la famille"
* 1997 : "Toutes les chansons du monde"
* 2006 : "Hou la menteuse remix" (certified silver)
* 2006 : "La valise remix"
* 2006 : "Allô, allô M. l'Ordinateur remix"
* 2010 : "Coup de tonnerre"
* 2010 : "À l'Olympia"

Greatest hits

Concerts

* ''Zénith 86'' – Zénith Paris from 13 December 1986 to 4 January 1987, followed by a tour from 30 January to 31 May 1987.
* ''Zénith 87'' – Zénith Paris on 12 December 1987, followed by a tour from 21 November to 27 December 1987.
* ''Zénith 88'' –Zénith Paris from 26 November to 18 December 1988, followed by a tour from 18 January to 3 April 1989.
* ''Bercy 90'' – Paris-Bercy from 6 to 21 January 1990, followed by a tour from 24 February to 7 April 1990.
* ''Tournée 91'' – Tour in France from 31 March to 21 April 1991, then in La Réunion in May 1991.
* ''Chine 90'' / ''Chine 91'' – Tours in China, in May 1990 et May 1991.
* ''Bercy 92'' – Paris-Bercy from 18 January to 2 February 1992, followed by a tour from 6 February to 23 June 1992 in 50 French cities, Belgium, Switzerland and DOM-TOM.
* ''Bercy 93'' – Paris-Bercy from 2 to 6 January 1993, followed by a tour from 18 to 23 December 1992 and from 17 March to 18 April 1993 (France, La Réunion, Mauritius).
* ''Bercy 94'' – Paris-Bercy from 15 to 26 January 1994, followed by a tour in France from 29 January to 30 March 1994.
* ''DOM-TOM 94'' – Tour in the DOM-TOM in November 1994.
* ''Zénith 96'' – Zénith Paris from 13 to 17 January 1996.
* ''Bercy 96'' – Paris-Bercy from 4 to 15 December 1996.
* ''Olympia 2010'' – Olympia de Paris from 17 to 19 April 2010.
* ''Bercy 2010'' – Paris-Bercy on 18 December 2010.
** Total Olympia: 42 shows
** Total Zénith: 54 shows
** Total Bercy: 58 shows

Film

* 1979 : '' L'Amour en fuite'' by François Truffaut : Sabine Barnerias
* 1979 : ''La Gueule de l'autre'' by Pierre Tchernia : the television announcer
* 1980 : ''Pile ou Face'' by Robert Enrico : Laurence Bertil
* 2019 : '' Nicky Larson et le Parfum de Cupidon'' by Philippe Lacheau : cameo

References

Bibliography

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorothee
1953 births
Living people
French television presenters
Actresses from Paris
Musicians from Paris
20th-century French actresses
21st-century French actresses
21st-century French singers
French film actresses
French television actresses
French voice actresses
French children's musicians
20th-century French women singers
21st-century French women singers
French women television presenters