Pierre Delanoë (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), born Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer in Paris,

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 ...

, was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and var ...

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 ...

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

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 ...

Joe Dassin Joseph Ira Dassin (; 5 November 1938 – 20 August 1980) was an American–French singer-songwriter and actor. He was the son of film director Jules Dassin. Early life Dassin was born in New York City to American film director Jules Dassin (19 ...

Michel Sardou 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, su ...

and

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

. Delanoë was his grandmother's maiden name.

Career

Following obtaining a law degree, Delanoë began a career as a tax collector, and later a tax inspector. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he met

Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud (, 24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001) was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are " Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release ...

and began working as a lyricist. For a period, he even performed alongside Bécaud in clubs. They penned some of France's most beloved songs, including "Et maintenant", translated into English as " What Now My Love", which was covered by artists including

Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse Fältskog (born 5 April 1950), known as Agnetha Fältskog (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album. She later achieved internatio ...

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 ...

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 ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...

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and

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

. "Je t'appartiens" (" Let It Be Me") was covered by

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, 193 ...

, Tom Jones,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

and Nofx. " Crois-moi ça durera" was covered as "You'll See" by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

. In addition to Bécaud, Delanoë wrote for

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

("La Goualante du pauvre Jean"),

Tino Rossi Constantin "Tino" Rossi (29 April 1907 – 26 September 1983) was a French singer and film actor of Corsican origin. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, Rossi was gifted with a voice well suited for opera. He became a tenor in the French cabaret style. ...

Hugues Aufray Hugues Jean Marie Auffray (; born 18 August 1929), better known as Hugues Aufray, is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Aufray is known for French language covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Aufray knew Dylan and his work from his time in Ne ...

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 ...

("Je n'aurai pas le temps", "

Une belle histoire "" (; "A beautiful story") is a French song written by Michel Fugain (music) and Pierre Delanoë (lyrics). Featured on the 1972 album , it was released as a single that same year, selling over 800,000 copies and topping the charts in France. The l ...

"),

Nicoletta Nicoletta is a surname and feminine given name derived from the Greek ''Nikolaos'', most often used in Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Nicoletta is also a surname. Given name * Nicoletta (singer), full name Nicoletta Grisoni, French singer, ...

Nana Mouskouri Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( el, Ιωάννα "Νάνα" Μούσχουρη ) (born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer. Over the span of her career, she has released over 200 albums in at least twelve languages, including Greek, French, English, Germ ...

Michel Polnareff Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944, Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a French singer-songwriter, who was popular in France from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s with his penultimate original album, ''Kāma-Sūtra''. He is still criticall ...

Gérard Lenorman Gérard Lenorman (born 9 February 1945) is a French singer-songwriter. Lenorman was born at the Château de Bénouville, Calvados (Normandy) when it was a maternity hospital. He is the son of Madeleine Lenormand and an unknown German soldier. ...

(" La Ballade des gens heureux"),

L'Été indien "L'Été indien" (French for "Indian summer") is a 1975 single by American/French singer named Joe Dassin. . In the song he reflects with fond memories of his lover, who he met during an indian summer, but with whom he has now lost contact. Back ...

", " Les Champs-Élysées", " Et si tu n'existais pas"), Nicole Rieu ("Et bonjour à toi l'artiste") and

("Les Vieux Mariés", "Le France"). He wrote a passionate song about

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

in "La demoiselle d'Orléans" for

. The final lyric: "When I think of all I have given France... and she has forgotten me" was truly how the singer felt as she was made a caricature by Communists.Bonini, Emmanuel. ''La véritable Mireille Mathieu''. Paris: Pygmalion, 2005. The song "

Dors, mon amour "Dors, mon amour" (; "Sleep, My Love") is a love song written in French by Hubert Giraud, composed by Pierre Delanoë and performed in 1958 by André Claveau as France's entry and the winner of the pan-European Eurovision Song Contest, gaining o ...

", performed by André Claveau, for which Delanoë only wrote the music, and went on to win the

Eurovision Song Contest 1958 The Eurovision Song Contest 1958 was the third edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (NTS), the contest, originally known as the (English: Grand Prix of the Eu ...

. In 1955, Delanoë helped to launch

Europe 1 Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio station created in 1955. Owned and operated by Lagardère Active, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group, it is one of the leading radio broadcasting stations in France and its pr ...

as Director of Programs, the first French radio station to program popular music in a modern way. He served as President of SACEM in 1984 and 1986, then from 1988 to 1990, and 1992 to 1994. He was awarded the Poets Grand Prize in 1997 by the institution. On 31 March 2004, Delanoë was given France's highest culture award, Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He created some controversy in July 2006 after expressing dislike for rap music, saying that it is "a form of expression for people incapable of making music" and "not music but vociferations, eructations (belching)".

Death

Delanoë died of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

in the early morning of 27 December 2006 in

Poissy Poissy () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Pisciacais'' in French. Poissy is one ...

near Paris. He is buried in the Cimetière de

Fourqueux Fourqueux () is a former commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It is a small suburb 20 km west of Paris. It is known for ha ...

, which is just southeast of Poissy. His wife Micheline Leroyer (née Biesel) died on 16 January 2015, aged 97, and is buried beside him. They had three children: Pierre-Denis, Sylvie and Caroline.

Bibliography

* Pierre Delanoë, ''La vie en chantant'', éditions René Julliard, 1980 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Le surnuméraire'', éditions René Julliard, 1982 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Le 19è trou'', éditions Robert Laffont, 1984 * Pierre Delanoë, en collaboration avec A. J. Lafaurie et Philippe Letellier, ''Golfantasmes'', éditions Albin Michel, 1986 * Pierre Delanoë, ''La retraite aux flambeaux'', éditions Robert Laffont, 1986 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Poésies et chansons'', éditions Seghers, 1986 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Et à part ça qu'est-ce que vous faites ?'', éditions Michel Lafon, 1987 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Comment écrire une chanson'', éditions Paul Beuscher, 1987 * Pierre Delanoë, avant-propos de Jean-Marc Natel, ''Paroles à lire, poèmes à chanter'', éditions Le Cherche Midi, 1990 * Pierre Delanoë, entretiens avec Alain-Gilles Minella, ''La chanson en colère'', éditions Mame, 1993 * Pierre Delanoë, illustrations de Barberousse, ''Les comptines de Titine'', éditions Hemma Éditions, 1995 * Pierre Delanoë, illustrations de Barberousse, ''Les comptines d'Eglantine'', éditions Hemma Éditions, 1995 * Pierre Delanoë, préface de Jean-Marc Natel, voix de Charles Aznavour à Jean-Claude Brialy en passant par Renaud, ''Anthologie de la poésie française de Charles d'Orléans à Charles Trenet'', éditions du Layeur, 1997 * Pierre Delanoë, en collaboration avec Alain Poulanges, préface de Gilbert Bécaud, ''La vie en rose'', éditions Plume, 1997 * Pierre Delanoë, illustrations de Barberousse, musique Gérard Calvi, interprètes Jacques Haurogné, Juliette, Fabienne Guyon, Pierre Delanoë, Xavier Lacouture et Catherine Estourelle, ''La comptine à Titine'', éditions Hemma Éditions, 1998 * Pierre Delanoë, préface de Michel Tournier de l'Académie Goncourt, ''Des paroles qui chantent'', éditions Christian Pirot, 1999 * Pierre Delanoë, préface de Gilbert Bécaud, ''Le témoin était aveugle'', éditions Les vents contraires, 2000 * Pierre Delanoë, préface de Jean-Marc Natel, narration de Brigitte Lahaie, musique de Guy Boyer, ''La poésie dans le boudoir'', éditions du Layeur, 2000 * Pierre Delanoë, préface de Jean Orizet, ''D'humeur et d''humour'', éditions Mélis éditions, 2002 * Pierre Delanoë, ''Tous des putes'', éditions Mélis éditions, 2002 * Pierre Delanoë, en collaboration avec Jean Beaulne, ''Pierre Delanoë…Et maintenant'', éditions City Éditions, 2004

External links

Official website
(in French) *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delanoe, Pierre 1918 births 2006 deaths Writers from Paris French songwriters Male songwriters Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 20th-century French musicians Eurovision Song Contest winners