Philippe Chatel, born Philippe de Châteleux de Villeneuve-Bergemont de Duras (23 February 1948 – 19 February 2021), was a French singer-songwriter.

Career

After starting in courier of

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, Chatel became familiar with

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

and then started writing his own songs. He started in 1977 with ''J't'aime bien Lili'', and subsequently wrote and performed ''Ma lycéenne'', ''Tout quitter mais tout emporter'', and '. In 1979, he rose to worldwide fame with his writing of the comedy musical '' Émilie Jolie''. In 1997, a second version was adapted and he directed an animated edition in 2011 with

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. The album for this version won Best Children's Album at the 1999

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 ...

ceremony. A performance was again adapted in 2018, with less famous actors than previously presented. In 2016, Chatel released an album titled ''Renaissance'', in which he expressed hope and friendship. In 2021, he was nominated to become a member of the Académie Française, but was passed over for Chantal Thomas. In addition to his musical activities, Chatel also wrote a biography titled ''Brassens'' in 1975 and a novel in 1988 titled ''Il reviendra'', for which he was invited to speak on the talk show '' Apostrophes''. In 2004, he wrote the novel ''Le Roman d'Émilie Jolie''.

Personal life

Chatel was the son of television director and was married to Catherine Chatel, with whom he had two children, Émilie (born 1975) and Nicolas (born 1981). In 2006, Chatel was involved in a serious accident while on a

quad bike An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is strad ...

near Aix-en-Provence and spent three months in a coma. He spent some time in a wheelchair and rehabilitation, and was slightly paralyzed in his jaw for life. Chatel died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

on 19 February 2021 in Paris, four days shy of his 73rd birthday.

Discography

*''Analyse'' (1976) *''Salut au temps qui passe'' (1978) *''Sentiments'' (1978) *''Maquillages'' (1981) *''Yin Yang'' (1982) *''Peau d'âme'' (1984) *''Anyway'' (1994) *''Renaissance'' (2016)

Bibliography

*''Brassens'' (1975) *''Il reviendra'' (1988) *''Le Roman d'Émilie Jolie'' (2004)

Distinctions

*Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2018)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatel, Philippe 1948 births 2021 deaths French male singer-songwriters Singers from Paris Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 20th-century French male singers 21st-century French male singers