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Francis Lai facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Francis Wai.
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Francis Lai
Francis Lai 1972.jpg
Lai in 1972
Born
Francis Albert Lai

(1932-04-26)26 April 1932
Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Died 7 November 2018(2018-11-07) (aged 86)
Paris, France
Occupation Film score composer
Years active 1952–2018

Francis Albert Lai (born April 26, 1932 – died November 7, 2018) was a famous French composer. He was best known for creating music for movies, called film scores.

He won an Oscar in 1970 for his music in the film Love Story. He also won a Golden Globe Award for the same movie. The music from Love Story was very popular. Its main song, "Where Do I Begin", became a big hit for singer Andy Williams.

Francis Lai's Early Life and Career

Francis Lai was born on April 26, 1932, in Nice, France. His parents were market gardeners from Italy. From a young age, Francis loved music. He started playing in local orchestras. In Marseilles, he discovered jazz music. There, he met Claude Goaty, a popular singer from the 1950s.

When he was in his twenties, Lai moved to Paris with Claude Goaty. He joined the lively music scene in Montmartre. He often visited a place called "Taverne d'Attilio." There, he met a young writer named Bernard Dimey. They became friends and wrote many songs together.

After a short time with another orchestra, Lai became an accompanist for the famous singer Édith Piaf. He also started composing music for her.

Creating Music for Movies

In 1965, Francis Lai met filmmaker Claude Lelouch. Lelouch hired him to help create the music for his new movie, A Man and a Woman. This film came out in 1966 and was a huge success around the world. It even won several Academy Awards.

Lai's music for the film was also very popular. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Score." This early success opened many doors for him in the film industry. He continued to work with Claude Lelouch on other movies, like Vivre pour vivre (1967) and La bonne année (1973). He also composed music for films in Great Britain and the United States.

Lai was known for supporting singer Mireille Mathieu. He composed and recorded many songs with her. In 1970, he wrote the music for the film Rider on the Rain. The soundtrack sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc.

Winning Awards for Love Story

In 1970, Lai won the Oscar for Best Original Score for the film Love Story. He also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the same movie.

The soundtrack album for Love Story was very successful in the United States. It reached number 2 on the Billboard album charts. The main song from the film, "Where Do I Begin", became a hit song for singer Andy Williams. Francis Lai himself also recorded the song with a full orchestra. Other artists like Henry Mancini and Shirley Bassey also recorded it. The "Love Story" theme was even used in the 1978 sequel, Oliver's Story.

Francis Lai's movie music included scores for many different films. Some of these were Mayerling, International Velvet, and Édith et Marcel. His song "Aujourd'hui C'est Toi" (which means "Today It's You") became famous in the UK. It was used as the theme music for the long-running BBC documentary series Panorama.

Over his forty-year career, Lai wrote music for more than one hundred films. He also composed music for television shows. In total, he wrote over six hundred songs. He even wrote the music for the hit song "I Think of You" for Perry Como.

Personal Life and Passing

In 1968, Francis Lai married Dagmar Puetz. They had two sons and one daughter together.

Francis Lai passed away on November 7, 2018, at his home in Paris. He was 86 years old.

Movies with Francis Lai's Music

Francis Lai worked often with French director Claude Lelouch. He composed music for at least 131 films.

  • A Man and a Woman (1966)
  • Vivre pour vivre (1967)
  • The Bobo (1967)
  • I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967)
  • House of Cards (1968)
  • Mayerling (1968)
  • 13 jours en France (1968)
  • Life Love Death (1969)
  • Hannibal Brooks (1969)
  • Three into Two Won't Go (1969)
  • Un Homme qui me plaît (1969)
  • Rider On The Rain (1970)
  • Le Voyou (1970)
  • Eyes Full of Sun (1970)
  • The Games (1970)
  • Hello-Goodbye (1970)
  • Love Story (1970)
  • The Legend of Frenchie King (1971)
  • L'aventure, c'est l'aventure (1972)
  • La bonne année (1973)
  • Un homme libre (1973)
  • Visit to a Chief's Son (1974)
  • And Now My Love (1974)
  • Child Under a Leaf (1974)
  • Wanted: Babysitter (1975)
  • Emmanuelle 2 (1975)
  • The Good and the Bad (1976)
  • Body of My Enemy (1976)
  • Anima persa (1977)
  • Bilitis (1977)
  • Another Man, Another Chance (1977)
  • Passion Flower Hotel (1978)
  • Robert et Robert (1978)
  • International Velvet (1978)
  • Oliver's Story (1978)
  • Beyond the Reef (1981)
  • Les Uns et les autres (1981)
  • Édith et Marcel (1983)
  • Dog Day (1984)
  • My New Partner (1984)
  • Marie (1985)
  • Sins (miniseries)(1986)
  • A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986)
  • Attention bandits! (1986)
  • Dark Eyes (1987)
  • Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté (1988)
  • My New Partner II (1990)
  • There Were Days... and Moons (1990)
  • Les Clés du paradis (1991)
  • La Belle Histoire (1992)
  • Men, Women: A User's Manual (1996)
  • Hasards ou coïncidences (1998)
  • Salaud, on t'aime (2014)
  • Un plus une (2015)
  • The Best Years of a Life (2019)

Awards and Nominations

Francis Lai received many awards and nominations for his work:

Award nominations:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Francis Lai para niños

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