Guy Béhart-Hasson (; 16 July 1930 – 16 September 2015), known as Guy Béart, was a French singer and songwriter.

Life and career

Béart was born Guy Béhart-Hasson (originally spelled Béhar-Hassan) in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, to a

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...

family, that later sought refuge in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

during his childhood. His mother was Amélia (Taral) and his father was David Béhart-Hasson. His father's work as an accountant and business consultant saw the family move frequently, leading to a childhood spent in France, Greece, and Mexico, in addition to Egypt. His family settled in

where he did his secondary studies, between ten and seventeen years old, age at which he obtained his French baccalaureate in elementary mathematics at the International College of Beirut, where his interest in music developed to the point that he left for Paris to study at the "École nationale de musique". In addition to music, he also obtained a degree in engineering. When his father died in 1952, the young Béhart chose to pursue a career in engineering in order to help support his family, studying at the prestigious

École nationale des ponts et chaussées École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

. Simultaneously, however, he enrolled in Paris's École nationale de musique, studying violin and mandolin, and in his spare time wrote songs and worked the Paris

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

circuit, where he played guitar and sang under the stage name "Guy Béart". When a version of one of his songs by a popular performer of the day became a huge success, demand for his writing talents increased and he composed for

Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco (; 7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are "Paris Canaille" (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), "La Javanaise" (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and "Désh ...

and others. Taken under the wing of renowned music producer Jacques Canetti and fellow musician

Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sulliva ...

, he released an album of his own, which won the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque français in 1958. Normally shy, Béart initially suffered from

stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...

and struggled during his concert debut 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 ...

. His biggest hit came when he wrote the soundtrack of the 1958 motion picture, ''L'Eau vive'' (''

Girl and the River ''Girl and the River'' (french: L'Eau vive) is a 1958 French drama film directed by François Villiers. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. Cast In alphabetical order * Henri Arius - The uncle from Cavaillon * Pascale Audret - ...

'' in the USA). The title song of the film is considered a classic of what is known as French ''

chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic s ...

''. Despite his leap to fame, Béart's singing career was soon swamped by the rising tide of 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 ...

. However, reinventing himself as a host of a television show featuring musical stars from a variety of genres, he remained in the public eye and eventually made a recording comeback. From his first wife Cécile de Bonnefoy du Charmel he had a daughter, Ève (born 1959). Guy Béart dessiné par Michel Bourdais

In 1963 he and his second wife, Geneviève Galéa (pseudonym of Geneviève Guillery), had a daughter,

Emmanuelle Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French erotic films based on the main character in the novel '' Emmanuelle'' (1959), created by Emmanuelle Arsan. Character history Emmanuelle appeared as the pen name of Marayat Rollet-Andri ...

, who would grow up to be an actress. After Béart's television show ended in 1970, his popularity waned but he continued to record new music that was readily purchased by a loyal following. He was the co-composer of the 1977 Luxembourg entry at the

Eurovision Song Contest 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 ...

. By the early 1980s he was almost completely out of the spotlight and, although only in his early fifties, he suffered from a number of serious health problems. In 1987, he published a book about his illness entitled ''Crazy Hope'' that, combined with his daughter's success in the blockbuster film '' Manon of the Spring'', brought a resurgence of popularity. More than 25 years after his first appearance at the Paris Olympia, he returned for a series of highly successful performances. In 1994, Béart was awarded the Grand Prix de l'Académie française in recognition of his achievements over his long career. He continued to perform at a variety of venues around the country and in 1999 did a five-week run at

Bobino Bobino at 20 rue de la Gaîté, in the Montparnasse area of Paris ( 14th arrondissement), France, is a music hall theatre that has seen most of the biggest names of 20th century French music perform there. During its long history it was also ...

Montparnasse Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. Montparnasse has bee ...

that was so popular it allowed for a successful re-release of his double live album recorded at the Olympia. In the 2000s, he only made rare appearances on stage but many of his songs, of which Béart wrote more than 300 by himself, are still popular with his fans. Béart died of a heart attack at the age of 85 in

Garches Garches () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Garches has remained largely residential, but is also the location of Raymond Poincaré University Hospital, which specialises in traumatol ...

, on 16 September 2015.

Discography

Albums

;Studio albums *1957: ''Guy Béart'' (or ''Qu'on est bien'') *1958: ''Guy Béart Volume 2'' (or ''L'Eau vive'') *1960: ''Guy Béart Volume 3'' (or ''Printemps sans amour'') *1963: ''Guy Béart Volume 4'' (or Fille d'aujourd'hui) *1965: ''Qui suis-je?'' (or ''Les grands principes'') *1966: ''Vive la rose - Les très vieilles chansons de France'' *1968: ''La Vérité'' *1968: ''V'là l'joli vent - Les nouvelles très vieilles chansons de France'' *1969: ''La Fenêtre'' *1971: ''L'Espérance folle'' *1973: ''Couleurs du temps'' *1975: ''Il fait beau à Paris'' (compilation with previously unreleased materials) *1976: ''Chansons de notre temps et d'espérance'' *1977: ''Futur- Fiction- Fantastique'' (compilation with unreleased materials) *1978: ''Les Nouvelles Chansons'' *1981: ''Le beau miroir'' *1982: ''Porte-bonheur - Les chansons gaies des belles années'' *1986: ''Demain je recommence'' *1995: ''Il est temps'' *2010: ''Le Meilleur des choses'' ;Live albums *1974: ''À l'université'' (double album) *1977: ''À la Comédie des Champs-Élysées'' (triple album) *1999: ''En public'' (double CD) ;Compilation albums *2010: ''Best of'' (triple CD) *2014: ''Chansons éternelles de France''

Songs

(Alphabetical order) * ''À Amsterdam'' (1976) * ''À côté'' (1971) * ''À la claire fontaine'' (1968) * ''Ah ! quelle journée'' (1974) * ''Allô... tu m'entends'' (1965) * ''Alphabet'' (1963) * ''Anachroniques'' (1967) * ''Amour passant'' (2010) * ''Années-lumière'' (1967) * ''Assez'' (1978) * ''Au bout du chemin'' (1962) * ''Aux marches du palais'' (1966) * ''Bagatelle-Puteaux'' (1975) * ''Bal chez Temporel'' (1958) * ''Battez-les'' (1960) * ''Belle harmonie'' (1976) * ''Bête à rêver'' (1971) * ''Blanche biche'' (1968) * ''Bonne année bonne chance'' (avec Dominique Dimey, 1980) * ''Brave marin'' (1966) * ''C'est après que ça se passe'' (1973) * ''Ça n'va guère'' (1968) * ''Ça pourra s'arranger'' (2010) * ''Ça qu'est bien'' (2010) * ''Caroline'' (1982) * ''Carthagène'' (1964) * ''Ce n'est pas parce que'' (1969) * ''Cercueil à roulettes'' (1965) * ''Ceux qui s'aiment'' (1972) * ''Chahut-bahut'' (1969) * ''Chandernagor'' (1958) * ''Chanson pour ma vieille'' (1958) * ''Cinéma'' (1963) * ''Combien je t'aime'' (1981) * ''Comme les autres font'' (1968) * ''Contrebandier du ciel'' * ''Couleurs'' (1968) * ''Da roghi'' * ''Dans les journaux'' (1963) * ''Dans regrettable'' (1958) * ''De la lune qui se souvient ?'' (1965) * ''Demain je recommence'' (1986) * ''Disparaît'' (1995) * ''Dominique'' (1986) * ''Douce'' (1963) * ''Émile s'en fout'' (1986) * ''En baignoire'' (1960) * ''En marchant'' (1969) * ''En marge'' (1971) * ' (1982 ; remake of Delormel &

Garnier Garnier () is a mass market cosmetics brand of French cosmetics company L'Oréal. It produces hair care and skin care products. Launch ''Laboratoires Garnier'' was founded in France in 1904 by Alfred Amour Garnier. The company's first product ...

/ Desormes, 1886, created by Paulus) * ''Encore un été'' (1963) * ''Entre chien et loup'' (1969) * ''Entre-temps ramait d'Aboville'' (1992) * ''Escalier B'' (1969) * ''Et moi je m'enfoui-foui'' (1966) * ''Et puisqu'en tout cas on est malheureux'' (1965) * ''Étoiles, garde-à-vous'' (1968) * ''Feuille vole'' (1965) * ''Fille d'aujourd'hui'' (1963) * ''Flani-flânons'' (1971) * ''Fleur d'épines'' (1968) * ''Frantz'' (avec

Marie Laforêt Marie Laforêt (born Maïtena Marie Brigitte Doumenach; 5 October 1939 – 2 November 2019) was a French singer and actress, particularly well known for her work during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1978, she moved to Geneva, and acquired Swiss citize ...

, 1964) * ''Gentils vieillards'' (1973) * ''Grenades grenades'' (1960) * ''Grenouille de l'étang'' (1960) * ''Havane'' (1975) * ''Hôtel Dieu'' (1968) * ''Idéologie'' (1978) * ''Il est temps'' (1995) * ''Il fait beau à Paris'' (1975) * ''Il fait toujours beau quelque part'' (1967) * ''Il faut avoir été'' (2010) * ''Il n'y a plus d'après'' (1960) * ''Il ne faut pas beaucoup'' (1995) * ''Il y a plus d'un an'' (1958) * ''Il y a si longtemps que je rôde'' (1965) * ''J'ai mis'' (1969) * ''J'ai retrouvé le pont du nord'' (1969) * ''J'erre, j'erre'' (1976) * ''Je connais une blonde'' (1982) * ''Je me suis engagé'' (1968) * ''Je ne sais jamais dire non'' (1962) * ''Je vais au Burkina Faso'' (2010) * ''Julie'' (1976) * ''L'agent double'' (1958) * ''L'alouette'' (1978) * ''L'amour de moy'' (1966) * ''L'âne'' (1958) * ''L'autoroute en bois'' (1973) * ''L'avenir c'était plus beau hier'' (1977) * ''L'eau vive'' (1958) * ''L'espérance folle'' (1971) * ''L'histoire sans histoire'' (1973) * ''L'ile aux jaloux'' (1995) * ''L'insouciance des jours'' (1965) * ''L'obélisque'' (1958) * ''L'oxygène'' (1958) * ''La Baya'' (1982) * ''La belle au jardin'' (1968) * ''La bohème'' (1968) * ''La bombe à neu-neu'' (1978) * ''La brave fille'' (1974) * ''La bureaucrate'' (1978) * ''La chabraque'' (1960, paroles de

Marcel Aymé Marcel Aymé (29 March 1902 – 14 October 1967) was a French novelist and playwright, who also wrote screenplays and works for children. Biography Marcel André Aymé was born in Joigny, in the Burgundy region of France, the youngest of si ...

) * ''La chaloupe à l'eau'' (1966) * ''La dame au p'tit chien'' (1965) * ''La danse du temps'' (1978) * ''La fenêtre'' (1969) * ''La fille aux yeux mauves'' (1971) * ''La gambille'' (1975) * ''La grève du rêve'' (1981) * ''La guerre va chanter'' (1986) * ''La lune est verte'' (1969) * ''La maison tranquille'' (1971) * ''La Mattchiche'' (1982) * ''La même éthique'' (1976) * ''La télé'' (1965) * ''La tour de Babel'' (1992) * ''La valse brune'' (1982) * ''La vénus mathématique'' (1969) * ''La vérité'' (1968) * ''La vie conjugale'' (avec Christiane Canavese, 1964) * ''La vie va'' (1976) * ''Laine la blanche'' (1995) * ''Laisse parler le silence'' (1980) * ''Laura'' (1958) * ''Le beau miroir'' (1981) * ''Le bienfait perdu'' (1986) * ''Le bon Zeus'' (1986) * ''Le chapeau'' (1958) * ''Le cœur en miettes'' (1973) * ''Le conscrit du Languedoc'' (1966) * ''Le fils du renard'' (1968) * ''Le grand chambardement'' (1968) * ''Le groupe'' (1971) * ''Le jardin d'Elvire'' (1960, paroles de

) * ''Le mariage'' (1961) * ''Le matin, je m'éveille en chantant'' (1960) * ''Le meilleur des choses'' (2010) * ''Le messie'' (1976) * ''Le miracle vient de partout'' (1976) * ''Le monsieur et le jeune homme'' (1963) * ''Le mur de ma vie privée'' (1995) * ''Le petit voeuf'' (1973) * ''Le pont de Nantes'' (1966) * ''Le prince fainéant'' (1967, paroles de

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

) * ''Le quidam'' (1958) * ''Le rendez-vous'' (1964) * ''Le roi a fait battre tambour'' (1966) * ''Le sesque'' (1973) * ''Le sort des matelots'' (1966) * ''Le terrien'' (1958) * ''Le train pour avant-hier'' (1969) * ''Le trou dans le seau'' (avec

Dominique Grange "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-bo ...

, 1965) * ''Le voyageur de rayons'' (1968) * ''Les amours tranquilles'' (2010) * ''Les bras d'Antoine'' (1962) * ''Les collines d'acier'' (1968) * ''Les couleurs du temps'' (1973) * ''Les éléphants'' (1958) * ''Les enfants de bourgeois'' (1976) * ''Les enfants sages'' (1960) * ''Les enfants sur la lune'' (1968) * ''Les fleurs de mon jardin'' (1971) * ''Les grands principes'' (1965) * ''Les mots'' (1986) * ''Les parapluies'' (1981) * ''Les pas réunis'' (1960) * ''Les pouvoirs'' (1981) * ''Les prénoms jolis'' (1995) * ''Les proverbes d'aujourd'hui'' (1973) * ''Les souliers'' (1965) * ''Les temps étranges'' (1963) * ''Les temps sont doux'' (1973) * ''Les tristes noces'' (1966) * ''Liban libre libre Liban'' (1989) * ''Lo papel'' (1973) * ''Lune ma banlieue'' (1971) * ''Ma mère je le veux'' (1968) * ''Magazines'' (1963) * ''Mandrin'' (1968) * ''Moitié toi moitié moi'' (1958) * ''Mon amour mon amour'' (1981) * ''Mon Paris'' (1982) * ''Mou doux flou'' (1981) * ''Mourir en vacances'' (1978) * ''Ne tirez pas le diable'' (1960, paroles de

) * ''O Jéhovah'' (1986) * ''On ne manque de rien'' (1971) * ''Où sont maintenant ?'' (1986) * ''Où vais-je ?'' (1978) * ''Paix à la guerre'' (2010) * ''Paris au mois d'août'' (1970) * ''Parlez-moi d'moi'' (avec Jeanne Moreau, 1980) * ''Parodie'' (1973) * ''Pierrot la tendresse'' (1974) * ''Pique sur tes ficelles'' (2010) * ''Pleure Paule pleure'' (1981) * ''Plus jamais'' (1962) * ''Porte-bonheur'' (1982) * ''Poste restante'' (1958) * ''Printemps sans amour'' (1960) * ''Qu'il est dur d'aimer'' (1995) * ''Qu'on est bien'' (1958) * ''Quand au temple'' (1966) * ''Quand les lilas refleuriront'' (1982) * ''Quand on aime, on a toujours raison'' (1969) * ''Quand un homme'' (1962, duo avec Christiane Canavese) * ''Que diable'' (1978) * ''Que j'aime'' (1971) * ''Qui est con ?'' (1995) * ''Qui suis-je ?'' (1965) * ''Retrouver l'aventure'' (1995) * ''Rotatives'' (1968) * ''Sac à malices'' (1960, duo avec Christiane Canavese)) * ''Saute au paf'' (1975) * ''Seigneurs du vent'' (1995) * ''Seine, va'' (1964) * ''Sérénade à madame'' (1958) * ''Ses meilleurs amis'' (1986) * ''Si je t'ai jetée'' (2010) * ''Si la France'' (1981) * ''Stances à Cassandre'' * ''Suez'' (1963) * ''Tant de sueur humaine'' (1967) * ''Télé Attila'' (2010) * ''Téléphonez-moi quand même'' (2010) * ''Tiens tiens'' (1971) * ''Totole'' (1970) * ''Tourbillonnaire'' (1976) * ''Tout comme avant'' (1968) * ''Tout finit à St-Tropez'' (1965) * ''Trouilletulaire'' (1981) * ''Un enfant écrit'' (1964) * ''Une autre que toi'' (1978) * ''V'la l'joli vent'' (1968) * ''Vieille misère'' (1978) * ''Viens poupoule'' (1982) * '' Vive la rose'' (1966) * ''Vous'' (1958) * ''Y a pas papa'' (1995)

References

External links