Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 January 1947) is a French singer and occasional actor. He is known not only for his love songs ("La maladie d'amour", "Je vais t'aimer"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, such as the rights of women in Islamic countries ("Musulmanes"),

clerical celibacy Clerical celibacy is the requirement in certain religions that some or all members of the clergy be unmarried. Clerical celibacy also requires abstention from deliberately indulging in sexual thoughts and behavior outside of marriage, because the ...

("Le curé"),

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

("Le temps des colonies", "Ils ont le pétrole mais c'est tout") or the death penalty ("Je suis pour"). Another sometimes controversial theme found in some of his songs ("Les Ricains" and "Monsieur le Président de France" for example) is his respect and support for the culture and foreign policies of the United States of America. He has been accused of being a racist due to his 1976 song "Le temps des colonies", in which a former colonial soldier proudly tells his memories of

, but Sardou has always claimed the song was sarcastic. His 1981 single "Les lacs du Connemara" was an international hit (especially in the Netherlands). A number of his hit songs were written in collaboration with

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 ...

and

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 ...

, a few others (most notably "En chantant") with Italian singer

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 ...

. Sardou sold out eighteen consecutive dates at

Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Palais () may refer to: * Dance hall, popularly a ''palais de danse'', in the 1950s and 1960s in the UK * ''Palais'', French for palace ** Grand Palais, the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées **Petit Palais, an art museum in Paris * Palais River in ...

in 2001, while his 2004 album ''Du plaisir'' went straight to the number one spot on the French album charts. With a recording career of fifty years, Sardou has released 25 studio albums, 18 live albums and has recorded more than 350 songs (chiefly in French but also in Spanish, Italian and even English) and has sold more than 100 million records. Currently he is considered one of the most popular artists in the

Francophone world French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...

and one of the most lucrative, both in sales and in his shows.

Biography

Childhood

Michel Sardou was born on 26 January 1947 in Paris. His father,

Fernand Sardou Fernand Sardou (September 18, 1910 – January 31, 1976La Gloire de Pagnol
p. 235.) was a French singer ...

, was a singer and an actor while his mother,

Jackie Sardou Jackie Sardou (7 April 1919 – 2 April 1998) was a French actress. Personal life She was born Jacqueline Labbé in Paris, and married Fernand Sardou, a singer. She was the mother of singer Michel Sardou; and grandmother of author Romain Sardou ...

was an actress. His paternal grandfather, Valentin Sardou, was a comedian in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, while his grandmother was a singer. Sardou left school at 17.

Career

The early stages (1965–1970)

Sardou began working as a waiter in his father's cabaret in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

. He eventually met

Michel Fugain Michel Fugain (; born 12 May 1942) is a French singer and composer. He was born in Grenoble, Isère. He started composing after quitting medical school, and became a solo artist releasing his first album, ''Je n'aurai pas le temps'', in 1967. T ...

and auditioned for

Eddie Barclay Édouard Ruault (26 January 1921 – 13 May 2005), better known as Eddie Barclay, was a French music producer whose singers included Jacques Brel, Dalida and Charles Aznavour. He founded record label Barclay. Life Ruault, the son of a ca ...

. In 1965, Sardou began his recording career with "Le madras", co-written with

and

Patrice Laffont Patrice Laffont (born 21 August 1939 in Marseille) is a French television presenter, actor and entertainer. Career During the 1960s Laffont had a passion for acting, where he became a star on stage and screen with his friends Michel Fugain and M ...

. In 1967, his career really picked up, thanks to censorship: while France left

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

's integrated military command and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

was causing anti-American sentiment in France, Sardou released "Les Ricains" (''The Yanks''), a song which stated the debt of gratitude towards the US for the liberation of France.

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

did not like the song and he advised against its broadcast on state radio and television. This gave the singer a new notoriety, and the song let him lay the foundations for his future artistic style. However, from 1967 to 1970, he still found it difficult to have big hits. In view of the mitigated success of his singles, in 1969,

decided to terminate his contract, estimating that Sardou was not cut out to be a singer. So, he founded the record label Tréma (which stands for ''Talar Revaux Éditions Musicales Associées''), which would produce his records, with his friends

(who will become his most loyal composer) and Régis Talar, a French record producer.

Success and controversies (1970–1980)

He really met true success in 1970, when he released his first studio album, ''J'habite en France''. Three songs extracted from this work became hits : "J'habite en France" ("I live in France"), "Et mourir de plaisir" ("To die of pleasure") but mainly "Les bals populaires" ("Popular Dances"), which reached the top of the French chart. From this album, the hits would be uninterrupted throughout the 1970s. The songs "Le rire du sergent" ("The Sergeant's Laugh") (1971), "Le surveillant général" ("The Superintendent") (1972) found favour with the public. But his success was sealed in 1973 with the album ''La maladie d'amour''. Its title track "La maladie d'amour" ("The Disease of Love"), "Les vieux mariés" (which translates as "The old married couple", but adapted in English under the title "It's not too late to start again") and "Les villes de solitude" ("The Cities of loneliness") would eventually become great successes. However, this last song triggered a controversy as Sardou takes the role of a man who, tired of his monotonous daily routine, drunkenly expresses his brutal

fantasies Fantasy is a genre of fiction. Fantasy, Fantasie, or Fantasies may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Fantasia (music), a free-form musical composition * ''Fantasie'' (Widmann), a 1993 composition for solo clarinet by Jörg Widmann * ...

(of robbing a bank and

raping Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or a ...

women), but never acts on them. The feminist organisation MLF objected. The controversies reached their peak in 1976, with the album ''La vieille'' (''The Old Woman''). The first single from it, "Le France" ("SS France"), released in November 1975, was a message of indignation addressed to the

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency i ...

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 ...

, who had just sold the ocean liner SS ''France''. The controversial song was welcomed by the trade unions and the Communist Party even though Sardou was seen, because of several other songs, as an archetypal

reactionary In political science, a reactionary or a reactionist is a person who holds political views that favor a return to the ''status quo ante'', the previous political state of society, which that person believes possessed positive characteristics abse ...

singer. Even after the album was a real triumph (more than a million copies sold), other extracts, like "J'accuse" ("I charge men of...") or "Le temps des colonies" ("The Days of Empire") are about a singer who defends old conservative values. He was even accused of being a racist and an apologist for colonialism, but he has always insisted that the song is written in character rather than being an expression of his own views. The song "Je suis pour..." ("I am in favour of ...") puts Sardou in the role of a man in favour of the death penalty because his own son has been killed. In the wake of this, and other political positions expressed by him, Anti-Sardou campaigns were started; their demonstrations regularly disrupted the singer's tours, although other left-wingers felt that Sardou was entitled to his freedom of speech. The next year, in 1977, Sardou moved away from politics. His next album, ''La java de Broadway'', contained famous songs, such as "La java de Broadway" ("The Java of Broadway"), "Dix ans plus tôt" ("Ten years earlier") and a revival of the

Claude François 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" (c ...

hit "

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 ...

" (the tune of which is best known to English-speaking audiences as "

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 ...

"). The album was a huge success, exactly like the next ''Je vole'' (1978), which gave him one of his biggest hits, "En chantant" ("Singing"), written together with the Italian singer

A legend in motion (1981–2001)

The 1980s began under good omens for the singer, with the album ''Les lacs du Connemara'' from which came two songs considered important to the entire canon of

French popular music French popular music is a music of France belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and mostly distributed commercially. It stands in contrast to French classical music, which historically was the m ...

: "Les lacs du Connemara" ("The Lakes of Connemara") and "Être une femme" ("Being a woman"). Throughout the decade, Sardou had a lot of success : "Afrique adieu" ("Farewell, Africa") in 1982, "Il était là" ("He was here") in 1982, "Rouge" ("Red") in 1984, "Chanteur de jazz" ("Jazz Singer") in 1985, "La même eau qui coule" ("The same water flowing") in 1988... because his sales did not slow down, whereas a lot of his contemporaries had been forgotten during the

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

boom. However he didn't shy away from controversial songs, and even had success with several of them : "Vladimir Ilitch", in 1983, which both pays tribute to the ideas of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

and denounces the drift of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

away from them; "Les deux écoles" ("The Two Schools"), in 1984, which recalls the opposition between the free school and the private school with a defence of private schools; "Musulmanes" ("Muslim women"), in 1986, which casts a pessimistic and bitter look at the rights of women in

Islamic countries The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...

but which also pays a tribute to Arabic culture. At the end of the 1980s, Sardou received the recognition of his peers by being awarded a Music Victory for "Musulmanes" as the best song of the year. In the 1990s, the run of hit singles dried up, even if his four albums had very good sales. Sardou chose, for his shows in Paris, at the

in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1998 and 2001, and managed to fill this small stadium for a total of 88 times after his tour in 2001, each time with more than spectators. He also holds the record of attendances and performances for this stadium. He received, in 1990 and in 1999, the Music Victory for the biggest number of spectators gathered at the end of a tour (in 1998, nearly people have come to see him on stage.) After the album ''Français'' (2001) and its promotional tour, Sardou announced his retirement from singing.

The renewal (2004–2013)

In 2004, Sardou signed a contract with the record label

Universal Music France Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here. According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...

for a new album entitled ''Du plaisir'', he participated in the French television show ''

Star Academy ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...

'' and he organised an international tour in 2004 and 2005, visiting France,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

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 ...

and Canada. On 13 November 2006, the double album ''Hors format'' was released. This album includes twenty-three new songs, one of which is a duet with

Chimène Badi Chimène Badi (; born 30 October 1982 in Melun, Seine-et-Marne), also known by her mononym Chimène, is a French singer of Algerian descent. Early life Badi was born in Melun in the Paris suburbs to a family of Algerian origin. She spent her enti ...

, "Le chant des hommes" ("The Song of Men"). "Hors Format" has reached copies sold and is a

double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. In 2007, he started another tour, visiting venues like the Olympia and the

Zénith de Paris The zenith is the point in the sky that appears directly above the observer. Zenith or Zénith may also refer to: *Summit, a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it Automotive * Zenith Carburett ...

. "Le Blues Black Brothers" Released on: 2004-01-01 He released the album ''Être une femme (2010)'' on 30 August 2010. Tracks include an electronic style

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

by the DJ

Laurent Wolf Laurent Debuire (; born 16 November 1970), better known by his stage name Laurent Wolf, is a French electro house producer and DJ. He is the author of several compilations that contain his own tracks and also his remixes. He reached the top of th ...

of his own 1980s hit "Être une femme", and a

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

with

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

, " Voler" ("To Fly"). The subsequent tour meets with further success. ''Les grands moments'' (''The Great Moments''), a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

of his greatest hits, was released 22 October 2012. In 2012 and 2013 Sardou gave a show of the same name, showcasing his material all the way back to the mid-1960s. The show was staged at the

for three dates in December 2012 and five dates at the Olympia in June 2013. But medical issues forced Sardou to cancel the twelve last dates. In September 2014, he began playing the lead role in a play written especially for him by

Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (born 28 March 1960) is a Franco–Belgian playwright, short story writer and novelist, as well as a film director. His plays have been staged in over fifty countries all over the world. Life Early years Eric-Emmanuel S ...

, ''Si on recommençait ?'' (''If we begin again ?''). Several of Sardou's songs also feature prominently in the French comedy film "

La famille Bélier (released as ''The Bélier Family'' in Australia) is a 2014 French-Belgian coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Éric Lartigau. The film received six nominations at the 40th César Awards, winning Most Promising Actress for Louane Emera. ...

", released in 2014.

Personal life

Sardou married Françoise Pettré, a dancer, in 1965. They have two daughters : Sandrine (born on 15 January 1970) and Cynthia (born on 4 December 1973). They divorced in 1977. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Haas, called "Babette", in October 1977. They have two sons : Romain, writer (born on 6 January 1974) and

Davy Davy may refer to: * Davy (given name) * Davy (surname) * Davy lamp, a type of safety lamp with its flame encased inside a mesh screen * Davy, West Virginia, United States, a town * Davy Sound, Greenland * Davy (crater), a crater on the moon ...

, actor (born on 1 June 1978). They divorced in June 1999. On 11 October 1999, married Anne-Marie Périer, the daughter of the actor

François Périer François Périer (born François Pillu; 10 November 1919 – 29 June 2002), was a French actor renowned for his expressiveness and diversity of roles. He made over 110 film and TV appearances between 1938 and 1996, with notable excursion into ...

and the sister of the photographer

Jean-Marie Périer Jean-Marie Périer (born 1 February 1940) is a French photographer and film director. On 22 June 1963, the magazine '' Salut les copains'' organised a concert on Place de la Nation in Paris, with singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Richard Anth ...

. She is the former editor-in-chief of ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'' magazine. They were married in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

by then-mayor

Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...

Discography

Albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

*1980 : ''20 chansons d'or'' *1984 : ''20 chansons d'or, volume 2'' *1984 : ''Sardou, ses plus grandes chansons'' *1986 : ''Sardou, ses plus grandes chansons (volume 2)'' *1988 : ''Regards'' *1989 : ''Les Grandes Chansons'' *1989 : ''Intégrale 1989'' *1993 : ''Les Années Barclay'' *1994 : ''Intégrale 1966–1994'' *1995 : ''Intégrale 1965–1995'' *1996 : ''Les Grands Moments'' *2000 : ''Raconte une histoire'' (original recordings of his first songs with Barclay from 1965 à 1967) *2003 : ''MS'' *2004 : ''Anthologie'' *2005 : ''Michel Sardou'' *2007 : ''L'Intégrale Sardou'' *2007 : ''Les 100 plus belles chansons'' *2008 : ''Les 50 plus belles chansons'' (rerelease) *2009 : ''Les N°1 de Michel Sardou'' *2009 : ''Master Series'' *2009 : ''Master Series, volume 2'' *2012 : ''Les Grands Moments'' *2014 : ''Michel Sardou – La Collection officielle'' *2017 : ''Les Géants de la chanson – La Collection officielle'' *2017 : ''Mes premières et mes dernières danses – Intégrale des enregistrements studio 1965–2012'' *2019 : ''L'album de sa vie 100 titres''

Singles and various songs

;Best known for songs before 1983: *"Le madras" *"Les Ricains" *"J'habite en France" *"Et mourir de plaisir" *"Les bals populaires" *"Le rire du sergent" *"Le surveillant général" *"La maladie d'amour" *"Les vieux mariés" *"Les villes de solitude" *"le France" *"J'accuse" *"Le temps des colonies" *"Je suis pour..." *"La java de Broadway" *"Dix ans plus tôt" *"En chantant" *"

" *" Je vole" *"Les lacs du Connemara" *"Être une femme" *"Afrique adieu" *"Il était là" *"Rouge" *"Chanteur de jazz" *"Je vais t'aimer" ;Hits after 1983 with chart positions

Emblematic songs

* "Les bals populaires" ("The Popular Dances"), released in 1970. The song deals with the popular village dance parties which were fashionable in the 1970s. * "La maladie d'amour" ("The Disease of Love"), released in 1973. It is certainly Michel Sardou's most famous song and stayed at the top of the charts for 11 weeks. Michel drew his inspiration for this song from

Pachelbel's Canon Pachelbel's Canon (also known as the Canon in D, P 37) is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. The canon was originally scored for three violins and basso continuo and paired with a gigue, known as ''Canon and ...

. A few bars from the Beatles' "

Let It Be Let It Be most commonly refers to: * ''Let It Be'' (Beatles album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970 * "Let It Be" (Beatles song), the title song from the album It may also refer to: Film and television * ''Let It Be'' (1970 ...

" can also be heard in the song. * "Le France" ("SS France"), released in 1975. Sardou resents the selling of the liner SS ''France'' by the

. A very controversial song, it was welcomed by the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...

despite their view of Sardou as being a

due to other songs of his. * "Être une femme" ("Being a woman"), released in 1981. A satirical view on the evolution of women's social status. Sardou makes a list of different jobs expected to be occupied by women (police officer,

whore Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

, President of France...) but specifies that whatever they do, they still retain their femininity. * "Les lacs du Connemara" ("The Lakes of Connemara"), released in 1981. A lyrical evocation of Ireland and another one of his most popular songs, it is very often sung at the end of French student parties and at weddings in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

or in

. The song also has a tourism impact, with an estimated 350,000 additional visits to

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...

. Kylemore Abbey, the first tourist attraction in the region, has 20% French visitors, and guided tours are offered in this language. Of the 350,000 French who visit Ireland annually, more than half go to Connemara.. * "Musulmanes" ("Muslim women"), released in 1986. Sardou casts a pessimistic gaze on the status of women in Arabic countries. The song received, in 1987, the Music Victory for the best song of the year. * "

La rivière de notre enfance "La Rivière de notre enfance" is the name of a 2004 song recorded in duet by the Canadian singer Garou and the French artist Michel Sardou. It was released in November 2004 as the third single from Garou's second studio album, ''Reviens'', on whi ...

" ("The River of our childhood"), released in 2004. Performed in

with the Canadian singer Garou, the song nostalgically evokes the traces of our childhood which persist in our lives. This song, extracted from his album ''Du plaisir'', also marked his comeback after three years of inactivity.

Collaborations and appearances

*1980: Musical ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' *1989: "

Pour toi Arménie "Pour toi Arménie" (English translation: "For You, Armenia") is a 1989 song written and composed by Charles Aznavour, and recorded by a group of French singers (and also a few actors and TV presenters) who were popular at the time. This charity ...

", collective charity song headed by

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

*2000: ''Happy Birthday Live – Parc de Sceaux 15 June 2000'' (live album that remained unpublished from 2000 until album 2020), in duet with

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

on "Quelque chose de Tennessee" *2004:

Eddy Mitchell Claude Moine (; born 3 July 1942), known professionally as Eddy Mitchell, is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He took the name ''Eddy'' from the American ...

's Frenchy Tour, released as a live album, where Sardou sang in duet the song "Sur la route de Memphis"

Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...

Other activities

Theatre manager

Sardou was the owner of the

Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. History It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of (1726–1810) to house th ...

in Paris from 2001 to 2003.

Theatre actor

* 1996 : ''Bagatelle(s)'' by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

, directed by Pierre Mondy, in the

Théâtre de Paris The Théâtre de Paris is a theatre located at 15, rue Blanche in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It includes a second smaller venue, the Petit Théâtre de Paris. History The first theatre on the site was built by the Duke of Richelieu in 1730. ...

, with

Natacha Amal Natacha Amal (born 4 September 1968) is a Belgian actress. Personal life Amal was born on 4 September 1968 to a Moroccan father and a Russian mother in Brussels, Belgium. She was married to Claude Rappe in 1997, but the couple divorced in 2007 ...

Philippe Khorsand Philippe Khorsand (February 17, 1948 – January 29, 2008) was a French actor. His father was Iranian and his mother was French. He first appeared in a number of small roles in the 1970s. One of his most memorable roles as husband and father in ' ...

Frédéric Diefenthal Frédéric Diefenthal (born 26 July 1968 in Saint-Mandé Saint-Mandé () is a high-end commune of the Val-de-Marne department in Île-de-France in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of t ...

... * 1999 : ''Comédie privée'' by

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

, directed by Adrian Brine, in the

Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell The Théâtre du Gymnase or Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell, is a theatre in Paris, at 38 Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, 10th arrondissement (métro : Bonne Nouvelle (Paris Métro), Bonne Nouvelle). History Inaugu ...

, with

Marie-Anne Chazel Marie-Anne France Jacqueline Chazel (born 19 September 1951) is a French actress, screenwriter and director, who has been active in both film and television since 1974. Biography Chazel was born to actress Louba Guertchikoff (birth name Lou ...

. * 2001–2002 : ''L'Homme en question'' by

Félicien Marceau Félicien Marceau (16 September 1913 – 7 March 2012) was a French novelist, playwright and essayist originally from Belgium. His real name was Louis Carette. He was close to the Hussards right-wing literary movement, which in turn was close t ...

, directed by Jean-Luc Tardieu, on tour and in the

, with

Brigitte Fossey Brigitte Florence Fossey (; born 15 June 1946) is a French actress. Early years The daughter of a schoolteacher, Fossey was five years old when she was cast by director René Clément to star in his film, '' Forbidden Games''.Davy Sardou Davy Sardou (born 1 June 1978) is a French actor. He is the son of singer Michel Sardou, the grandson of actors Jackie Sardou and Fernand Sardou, and the brother of French novelist Romain Sardou. Sardou studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Insti ...

... * 2008–2009 : ''Secret de famille'' by

Éric Assous Éric Assous (30 March 1956 – 12 October 2020) was a French director, screenwriter, dialoguist, and dramatist born in Tunis.Jean-Luc Moreau Jean-Luc may refer to: In politics: * Jean-Luc Bennahmias (born 1954), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament * Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014), a Flemish politician * Jean-Luc Laurent (born 1957), a French politician * Jean-Luc ...

, in the

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...

, with

Davy Sardou Davy Sardou (born 1 June 1978) is a French actor. He is the son of singer Michel Sardou, the grandson of actors Jackie Sardou and Fernand Sardou, and the brother of French novelist Romain Sardou. Sardou studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Insti ...

, Laurent Spielvogel, Mathilde Penin, Elisa Servier and Rita Brantalou. * 2014 : ''Si on recommençait'' by

, directed by

Steve Suissa Steve Suissa (born 7 December 1970) is a French film director and actor. His 2000 film '' Taking Wing'' was entered into the 22nd Moscow International Film Festival where he won the award for Best Director. Selected filmography * '' Taking Win ...

, in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, with Anna Gaylor and Florence Coste. * 2015 : ''Représailles'' by Éric Assous, in the

Théâtre de la Michodière The Théâtre de la Michodière is a theatre building and performing arts venue, located at 4 bis, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Built by in 1925 in Art Deco style, it has a tradition of showing boulevard theatre. History On the si ...

, with

Film actor

* 1982 : '' L'été de nos 15 ans'' by

Marcel Jullian Marcel Jullian (31 January 1922—28 June 2004) was a French author, screenwriter for French film and television, and occasional director. He was one of the founders of the TV channel Antenne 2, and its first president from January 1975 to Decem ...

: ''Bernard''. with Cyrielle Claire, Elisa Servier and others * 1987 : ''

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

'' by

Philippe Setbon Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Coun ...

: ''Thomas Crosky, called Cross''. With

Roland Giraud Roland Giraud is a French actor. He married actress Maaike Jansen in 1966. Giraud began his theatrical training in the 1960s and joined Coluche's theatrical company in 1971. Around this time he worked also with the troupe, Le Splendid. His fir ...

Patrick Bauchau Patrick Nicolas Jean Sixte Ghislain Bauchau (born 6 December 1938) is a Belgian actor best known for his roles in the films ''A View to a Kill'', '' The Rapture'' and ''Panic Room'', as well as the TV shows '' The Pretender'' and '' House''. ...

and others * 1990 : ''

Promotion canapé ''Promotion canapé'' ( en, Casting couch) is a French comedy film directed by Didier Kaminka. It was released in 1990. The French phrase refers to attempting to make progress at work through romantic interactions with one's manager(s). Plot Tw ...

'' by

Didier Kaminka __NOTOC__ Didier is a French masculine given name and surname common throughout the Romance languages. It comes from the Ancient Roman names Didius and Desiderius. During the 5th century AD, with the Christianisation of ancient pagan names, it h ...

: ''Bernard''. With Grace de Capitani,

Thierry Lhermitte Thierry Lhermitte (; born 24 November 1952) is a French actor, director, writer and producer, best known for his comedic roles. He was a founder of the comedy troupe ''Le Splendid'' in the 1970s, along with, among others, Christian Clavier, Gérar ...

Claude Rich Claude Rich (8 February 1929 – 20 July 2017) was a French stage and screen actor. He began his career in the theater before his film debut in 1955. Personal life He married actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959. They had two daughters, ...

Patrick Chesnais Patrick Chesnais (born 18 March 1947) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Life and career Patrick Chesnais was born in La Garenne-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine. He was educated at the '' Lycée Pierre Corneille'' in Rouen. In 198 ...

Jean-Pierre Castaldi Jean-Pierre Castaldi (born 1 October 1944) is a French actor. He is the father of French TV presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television program ...

, Zabou,

Martin Lamotte Martin Lamotte (born 2 June 1947) is a French actor, comedian and director. He participated in several films alongside Le Splendid. He is most known for his role on the TV Series "SoeurThérèse.com" and "Nos chers voisins". Filmography Th ...

Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Pierre Richard is considered by many, such as ...

and others

TV actor

* 1993: ''L'irlandaise'' by José Giovanni : ''Régis Cassani''. With

Jean-Michel Dupuis Jean-Michel Dupuis (born in 1955) is a French theatre, TV and film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern m ...

Thérèse Liotard Thérèse Liotard (born 6 May 1949 in Lille, Nord, France) is a French actress best known for her role in the 1990 film '' My Father's Glory (La Gloire de mon père, de Marcel Pagnol)''. She is known on British television for her appearance in th ...

... * 2003: ''Le prix de l'honneur'' by

Gérard Marx Gérard Marx is a French César Award nominee director. Filmography References External links * Living people French film directors French male screenwriters French screenwriters French-language film directors Year of birth missi ...

: ''le colonel Christian Legoff''. With

Alexandra Vandernoot Alexandra Vandernoot (born 19 September 1965) is a Belgian actress. Career While having starred in a number of French films, she is known internationally as Tessa Noël, Duncan MacLeod's girlfriend, in the fantasy television series '' Highland ...

...

References

External links

*
Official site

Biography of Michel Sardou
from

Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of France. With 37.2 million listeners in 2014, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world, along with ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sardou, Michel Living people 1947 births Singers from Paris French male stage actors French male film actors French male television actors 20th-century French male singers 21st-century French male singers