Franck Pourcel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franck Pourcel
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| Born | 14 August 1913 Marseille, France
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| Died | 12 November 2000 (aged 87) Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France
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| Education | Conservatoire de Paris |
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| Years active | 1952–1995 |
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Notable work
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | Classical music, popular music, easy listening |
| Instruments | Conductor |
| Labels | Pathe-Marconi, EMI |
| Associated acts | Musical Director for Lucienne Boyer |
Franck Pourcel (born August 14, 1913 – died November 12, 2000) was a famous French musician. He was a composer, arranger, and conductor. This means he wrote music, changed it to fit different instruments, and led orchestras. He was known for both popular and classical music.
Contents
Biography
Early life and musical start
Franck Pourcel was born in Marseille, France. He started learning to play the violin when he was just six years old. Later, he studied violin at the Conservatoire in Marseille. He also learned to play the drums because he really loved jazz music. He spent a year studying music in Paris too.
By 1931, he was working as a violinist in different theaters in Marseille. Eight years later, he married Odette. He then became the musical director for a singer named Lucienne Boyer. They even went on a world tour together.
A successful career
Franck Pourcel moved to the United States in 1952. However, he returned to France the next year. There, he recorded two popular songs, "Blue Tango" and "Limelight." In 1954, he recorded his first album with the Pathé-Marconi record label. He recorded nine albums with them in just three years!
In 1956, he recorded his own version of "Only You" by The Platters. This song was a huge hit! It sold over three million copies by 1959. He even received a gold disc for it. The song reached number 9 on the Billboard pop chart in the United States.
Leading orchestras
Between 1956 and 1972, Franck Pourcel was the conductor for France at the Eurovision Song Contest. He conducted almost every year during that time. Four of the songs he conducted won first place for France! This made France the most successful country in the contest's early years.
By 1958, Pourcel started recording classical music. He had a series of albums called Pages Célèbres. These albums led him to conduct many famous orchestras. He conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. He also led the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris.
In 1961, he worked with Paul Mauriat to compose the hit song "Chariot." This song was recorded by Petula Clark. Later, Peggy March recorded it as "I Will Follow Him." This version became the main theme song for the movie Sister Act.
In 1975, Air France asked Pourcel to compose a special song. It was an anthem for their new supersonic plane, the Concorde.
Franck Pourcel recorded an amazing 250 albums and over 3000 songs! He conducted many famous orchestras. These included the London Symphonic Orchestra, the BBC Orchestra, and the Orchestre des concerts Lamoureux. He also created two popular music series. One was Amour Danse et violons (with 54 albums). The other was the classical series Pages Célébres. His first recordings from 1956 to 1962 were released as the Originals series.
Pourcel continued to record music until 1995 with EMI. He passed away on November 12, 2000, in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He was 87 years old and had Parkinson's disease. His daughter, Françoise Pourcel, now takes care of his musical legacy.
Awards and honors
Franck Pourcel received many awards for his musical achievements:
- 1956: The Grand prix du disque Français
- 1957: The Grand prix du disque in Brazil
- 1963: The Golden disc in Venezuela from Discomoda
- 1965: The Edison Prize in Amsterdam for his pop music orchestrations
- 1966: Gold record for his sales in France
- 1968: Golden disc in Colombia for his album Disco Mundo
- 1969: Grand Prix du disque from the Charles Cros Academy in Paris
- 1969: Gold record in Japan for the album Continental Tango
- 1970: Gold record in Japan for the album Adoro, which included the song "Adoro"
- 1972: Arranger award at the Tokyo Music Festival
- 1973: Guacaipuro de Oro in Venezuela
- 1973: Gold record in Japan for the album For Your Lovely Baby
See also
In Spanish: Franck Pourcel para niños
