Jacques Brel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel in 1962
Born	Jacques Romain Georges Brel (1929-04-08)8 April 1929 Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium
Died	9 October 1978(1978-10-09) (aged 49) Bobigny, France
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery
Other names	Le Grand Jacques ("The Great Jacques")
Occupation	Singer actor
Years active	1953–1978
Spouse(s)	Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Chanson French pop music
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Philips Barclay Universal
Signature

Jacques Brel (born April 8, 1929 – died October 9, 1978) was a famous Belgian singer and actor. He wrote and performed many dramatic and emotional songs. He became very popular first in Belgium and France, and then all over the world. People often call him a master of the modern chanson, which is a type of French song.

Jacques Brel sold over 25 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the top-selling Belgian music artists of all time.

Early Life and School

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was born in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium. His father worked in a company that made cardboard. Jacques and his older brother Pierre grew up in a strict home. They went to a Catholic primary school. Jacques was good at reading and writing, but found math and Dutch difficult.

When he was 12, Jacques went to Institut Saint-Louis. He didn't do well in many subjects, but he loved history and French. He was also very good at writing stories, poems, and essays. He even helped start the school's drama club and loved acting. At 15, he started playing the guitar. The next year, he formed his own theater group and began writing plays.

After school, at age 18, Jacques started working at his father's cardboard factory. The job was boring for him. To make things more interesting, he joined a Catholic youth group called La Franche Cordée (FC). This group did good deeds, like helping orphans and elderly people. Jacques was very enthusiastic about this work.

Family and Early Music

In 1948, Jacques joined the military service. While working with the FC youth group, he met Thérèse Michielsen, known as "Miche." They got married in 1950 and had three daughters.

In 1952, Jacques started writing songs and performing them for his family and in small clubs in Brussels. His family and friends didn't always like his intense songs and emotional performances at first. That same year, he performed on a local radio station for the first time.

Music Career and Fame

Jacques Brel, 1955

Jacques Brel, 1963

In 1953, Jacques Brel signed a contract with Philips Records. He released his first record, "Il Y A." A talent scout from the record company invited him to move to Paris, France. In Paris, Brel worked very hard to start his music career.

In 1956, he recorded "Quand on n'a que l'amour" ("When You Only Have Love"). This song became his first big hit, reaching number three on the French music charts.

By 1960, Brel's new manager arranged many international concert tours. He traveled to places like the Soviet Union, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States. These tours made him famous around the world. His first album released in the United States was called American Début.

In the United States, more and more people started listening to his music. American poet and singer Rod McKuen began translating Brel's songs into English. The Kingston Trio even recorded an English version of Brel's song "Le Moribond," which they called "Seasons in the Sun."

In 1967, Brel released a new album, Jacques Brel 67. It included popular songs like "Mon Enfance" (My childhood) and "La Chanson des vieux amants" (Song of the old lovers).

Even though Brel sang mostly in French (and sometimes Dutch), he inspired many English-speaking artists. Singers like David Bowie, Scott Walker, and Nina Simone recorded English versions of his songs.

After he stopped performing concerts, Brel focused more on movies. He only recorded four more studio albums in the last ten years of his life.

Film Career

Jacques Brel was also a successful actor. He appeared in 10 films. He also directed two films himself. One of his films, Le Far West, was even nominated for a major award, the Palme d'Or, at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973.

Later Life and Passing

Jacques Brel's grave in Atuona

By 1973, Jacques Brel knew he was very ill. He recorded a new song called "L'Enfance" (Childhood) and gave all the money from it to a charity for disabled children.

Brel loved sailing. He started planning a three-year trip around the world on his new yacht. In October 1973, doctors found a tumor on his lung. He had lung cancer. Knowing his time was limited, Brel said he wanted to be left alone in peace.

From 1975, Brel sailed around the West Indies and through the Panama Canal. He eventually settled in the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, even though his doctors advised against it. He rented a small house in Atuona on the island of Hiva-Oa. He also got his pilot's license and bought a small plane, which he named Jojo after a friend. He used his plane to help bring food and supplies to people on nearby islands.

In 1977, Brel decided to record one last album. Even after years away, his music was still very popular in Europe. He returned to Paris and recorded 12 new songs he had written in the Marquesas. This final album, Les Marquises, was released on November 17, 1977. It was a huge event in France. The same day, Jacques and Maddly returned to their home in the Marquesas Islands.

Jacques Brel passed away on October 9, 1978, at the age of 49. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Atuona, close to the grave of the famous artist Paul Gauguin.

Personal Life

Jacques Brel married Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen in 1950. They had three children together. He also had a romantic relationship with actress and dancer Maddly Bamy from 1972 until his death.

Legacy

Jacques Brel's songs have been translated into at least 95 languages, showing how widely loved his music is. Many artists have paid tribute to him in their own songs and albums.

Awards and Honours

• In 1962, Brel won the Dutch Edison Award for his album Jacques Brel.
• His film Le Far-West was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.
• In 1977, Jacques Brel won the Tenco award for his entire career.
• An asteroid, (3918) Brel, was named in his honor in 1988.
• In 2018, a special Belgian 10 Euro silver coin was made to remember Brel 40 years after his death.
• On November 15, 2020, Google celebrated Jacques Brel with a special Google Doodle.

Places and Statues

L'Envol memorial in Brussels

Jacques Brel Statue, Vesoul

Many places have been named after Jacques Brel to honor him:

• In 1968, a college in Vesoul, France, was named after him because of his famous song "Vesoul."
• In 1979, a municipal square in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, was named in his honor.
• The Fondation Brel, a foundation dedicated to his work, was created in Brussels in 1981.
• In 1982, the Jacques Brel station on the Brussels metro was opened.
• The Jacques Brel Parc in Forest, Brussels, has a bust of him.
• A EuroCity train connecting Paris and Dortmund was named Jacques Brel in 1993.
• There are bronze statues of Brel in Saint-Amand-Montrond, France (1995), and Vesoul, France (2016).
• In 2008, the airport in Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands was officially renamed Hiva Oa - Jacques-Brel airfield.
• In 2017, a bronze statue of Brel called L'Envol was placed in Brussels.
• The Espace Jacques Brel in Hiva Oa is a museum about the singer.
• Many streets, avenues, and cultural centers in Belgium and France are named after Jacques Brel.

Discography

Jacques Brel's music has been released in many different ways over the years. Here are some of his original studio and live albums:

Filmography

Jacques Brel was involved in many films as an actor, director, and writer.

As Actor Les risques du métier (1967) Mon oncle Benjamin (1969) Les assassins de l'ordre (1971) Franz (1971) L'aventure, c'est l'aventure (1972) Le bar de la fourche (1972) Le Far West (1973) L'emmerdeur (1973) As Director Franz (1971) Le Far West (1973)

Brel during the filming of L'Emmerdeur in 1973. As Soundtrack Composer A King Without Distraction (1963) An Idiot in Paris (1968) Tintin and the Temple of the Sun (1969) Mon oncle Benjamin (1969) Franz (1971) The Bar at the Crossing (1972) L'emmerdeur (1973) Le Far West (1973)

Documentaries

Several documentaries have been made about Jacques Brel's life and work:

• "The World of Jacques Brel" (1971)
• "Brel parle" (1971)
• "Jacques Brel" by Frédéric Rossif (1982)
• "The unknown Jacques Brel" (2003)
• "Jacques Brel op de Marquisen" (2005)
• "Jacques Brel" as part of the Flemish Belpop series (2012)
• "Jacques Brel, une vie à mille temps" (2016)
• "Jacques Brel, fou de vivre" (2017)

Images for kids

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  Jacques Brel, 1963

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  Jacques Brel, 1963

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  Jacques Brel, 1971

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  Jacques Brel, 1971

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Brel para niños