Marcel Amont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcel Amont
Amont in 1969
Background information
Birth name	Marcel Jean-Pierre Balthazar Miramon
Born	(1929-04-29)29 April 1929 Bordeaux, France
Died	8 March 2023(2023-03-08) (aged 93) Saint-Cloud, France
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instruments	Guitar

Marcel Amont (born Marcel Jean-Pierre Balthazar Miramon on 1 April 1929 – died 8 March 2023) was a famous French singer and actor. He was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Marcel Amont also sang in Occitan, a language spoken in southern France. He helped promote the culture of Bearn, a region in France, starting in the 1950s.

Amont was one of the most loved singers in France. He had a very long and successful career. He sold millions of albums and recorded about 1,000 songs. These songs were in many different languages, including English, Italian, and Spanish.

Marcel Amont was known for singing songs written by famous composers. Some of these included Georges Brassens and Léo Ferré. He was inspired by American pop and jazz singers. Artists like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett influenced his style. He had many international hits. These included "Blue, bland, blond" and "Un Mexicain." His song "Un Mexicain" even reached number one in France. Besides singing, he also acted in films and directed music for movies.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Marcel Amont was born in Bordeaux, France, on 1 April 1929. His father, Modeste Miramon, worked for the railways. His mother, Romélie Lamazou, was a nurse. After finishing high school, Marcel thought about becoming a physical education teacher. But he decided to study acting and then singing instead.

He started performing in small clubs in Bordeaux. Later, in the late 1950s, he moved to Paris. There, he slowly became known in many cabarets, which are places with music and entertainment. From a young age, he loved jazz and pop music.

First Steps to Fame

In 1951, Marcel Amont decided to try his luck in Paris. He became famous by performing in various cabarets. For several years, he kept performing. Then, in 1956, he got a big break. He was chosen to perform before the famous singer Édith Piaf at the Olympia theater.

This opportunity quickly made him the "revelation of the year." He recorded his first live album. For this album, he received an important award called the Grand Prix de Novela from the French Academy of Charles Cros. This success also opened doors to movies for him. He even appeared with Brigitte Bardot in the film The Bride Is Too Beautiful. He also appeared on the popular TV show 36 chandelles.

In 1956, Amont signed a record deal with Polydor Records. He released his first single, "Escamillo," that same year. In 1957, his first album, Marcel Amont, came out. Another album, Bleu, Blanc, Blond, followed in 1959. By 1962, he had performed over 100 shows at the Bobino theater.

Growing International Success

In the early 1960s, Marcel Amont's career really took off. He earned more than five gold albums. He had big hits like "Les Bleuets d'Azur" and "Le balayeur du roy." In 1961, his song "Dans le cœur de ma blonde" sold 80 million copies.

The next year, in 1962, he made the song "Un Mexicain" popular. This song was written by Charles Aznavour. It also reached number one in France. From then on, people knew him as one of the most successful French-speaking singers.

In 1962, he performed his first solo show at Bobino for three and a half months. All the tickets were sold out. He sang his own songs and some written by Claude Nougaro. In 1963, he went on his first tour in Luxembourg. He then released another album called Fantaisie Sur Des Airs D 'Opérettes.

In 1965, he returned to the Olympia theater for five weeks. He added dancers to his show, which was a new and exciting idea. He continued to release records until 1969. On 1 October 1967, he hosted the first color television show in French history, called "Amont Tour."

Continued Popularity

In the 1970s, Marcel Amont changed his record label to CBS Records. He released his album Amont-Tour. In 1970, he performed at the Olympia again. He used dancers, singers, and even giant screens for his show. It was so successful that it ran for five weeks. He was seen as a dynamic, happy, and light-hearted singer.

He released a French version of the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." He called it "Femme jolie on te yeux," and he wrote the French lyrics himself. He appeared on many TV variety shows in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974, he hosted his own Sunday show called "Toutankhamont."

In 1971, Amont released another hit song, "L'amour ça fait passer le temps." It sold 50 million copies. The 1980s were a bit harder for many artists from the 60s and 70s. But Marcel Amont's visual performances helped him tour internationally. He performed in Japan, Russia, and even San Francisco.

Amont also put music to two texts by Georges Brassens. These were "A Little Eva in excess" and "The Old Fossil."

Later Career and Achievements

In 1980, Marcel Amont tried to represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang the song "Camarade Vigneron." He finished in 4th place out of 6 candidates.

In the 2000s, his career saw a new boost in France. In 2006, he released a new album called Décalage Horaire. On this album, he sang duets with other artists like Agnès Jaoui.

In 2007, he returned to the Olympia theater. This was 50 years after his first performance there. At the end of 2008, he sang on a children's album by Guillaume Aldebert.

For two years, he was part of the "Tender Age" tour, which featured popular older artists. In October 2009, he celebrated his 80th birthday with concerts in Paris. In 2010, he helped with another children's album by Emma Daumas. He wrote some lyrics and sang a duet with her. His son, Mathias Miramon, wrote the music.

In 2012, he published a memoir called At the Time Passes Boulevard. He also released an illustrated book called "Nevó." Later that year, he performed at the Alhambra in Paris. He celebrated over 60 years in music. His show was lively and modern, mixing his famous hits with new songs. In 2013, his song "Il has the yellow jersey" was used in the film La Grande Boucle.

That same year, he joined a group called Les Marguerites against Alzheimer. They made a video for the song "Because the night" to help fight the disease. In January 2014, a double CD of his greatest hits was released.

Final Years and Passing

In March 2014, Marcel Amont published his seventh book, Letter to Friends. It was a collection of letters he imagined sending to people he admired and had met. These included Charles Aznavour and Yves Montand.

Amont also published his autobiography in 2015. From November 2016 to February 2017, he joined the tenth-anniversary tour of "Age tend, the tour of idols." He performed alongside artists like Gérard Lenorman and Sheila.

In 2018, he started a new show called "Marcel says and sings Amont." In this show, he shared stories from his life, from his childhood in southwest France to the present day. He sang his biggest hits and new songs.

Marcel Amont married Tamara Vladimirovna Deiness in 1952. They divorced in 1959. He had three children: Pascual, Jean, and Pierre. Marcel Amont passed away in Saint-Cloud, France, on 8 March 2023. He was 93 years old.

Legacy and Influence

Marcel Amont was the first French singer to record an album in Béarnese. This was his album Que canta en biarnés, released in 1979.

In 2001, he was honored with the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour. This is a very important award in France.

In 2017, he celebrated 65 years as an artist. He continued to perform sold-out concerts and sell records. His total record sales went over 35 million copies. This made him one of the best-selling French singers in history. He was behind only Michel Sardou and Johnny Hallyday.

Amont sang songs by many classical composers. Some of these included:

• Boris Vian
• Guy Thomas
• Michelle Senlis
• Philippe Pauletto
• Guillaume Apollinaire
• Henri Gougaud
• Jacques Prévert

Selected Music Albums

Studio Albums

• 1959 : Bleu, Blanc, Blond
• 1961 : Dans Le Coeur De Ma Blonde
• 1961 : Marcel Amont
• 1962 : Récital 1962
• 1962 : Un Mexicain
• 1962 : Nos Chansons de Leurs 20 Ans
• 1963 : Le Barbier De Seville
• 1965 : Ah C'qu'on A Rigolé Dimanche
• 1965 : Chansons Des Iles Et D'ailleurs
• 1975 : Pourquoi Tu Chanterais Pas ?
• 1979 : Un Autre Amont
• 2006 : Décalage Horaire

Singles

• 1956 : Escamillo (Georges Coulonges / C. Roi)
• 1958 : Julie (J. Datin - M. Vidalin)
• 1958 : Mon manège à moi (N. Glanzberg - J. Constantin)
• 1959 : Tout doux, tout doucement (Gretchen Christopher - Pierre Delanoë)
• 1959 : Bleu blanc blond (Jean Dréjac / H. Green)
• 1960 : Les bleuets d'azur (J. Larue / G Magenta)
• 1961 : Dans le cœur de ma blonde (Jean Dréjac / N. Petty)
• 1961 : La chanson du grillon (The cricket song) (Jean Dréjac)
• 1962 : Un Mexicain (J. Plante / Charles Aznavour)
• 1963 : Moi le clown (J.Mareuil - Ch. Aznavour)
• 1964 : Dans le cœur de ma blonde (Jean Dréjac)
• 1965 : Maria et le pot au lait (M. Amont)
• 1965 : Au bal de ma banlieue (Jean Dréjac)
• 1970 : Le monsieur qui volait (Claude Nougaro / M. Amont ])
• 1971 : L'amour ça fait passer le temps (Rivat - Thomas / Vincent)
• 1971 : Monsieur (G. Thibault / J. Renard)
• 1971 : Benjamin le Bienheureux ( Y. Dessca / E. Charden)
• 1971 : C'est aujourd'hui dimanche (Bernard Estardy - Jean-Michel Rivat / F. Thomas)
• 1974 : Y a toujours un peintre (JM. Rivat- R. Vincent)
• 1974 : Le chapeau de Mireille (Georges Brassens)
• 1975 : Les artistes (M. Amont - J. Revaux / R. Vincent)
• 1976 : La musique est de retour (M. Amont - M. Jourdan /Gustin)
• 1977 : On ne guérit pas de son enfance (M. Amont / M. Cywie)
• 1979 : Viennois (Alain Souchon)
• 1979 : Paris rombière (Cavanna / R. Vincent)
• 1979 : Pour traverser la rivière (Gilles Vigneault)
• 1979 : La galère (Maxime Le Forestier / Julien Clerc)
• 1982 : Demain j'arrête de fumer (Amont)
• 1985 : Le tam-tam des gorilles (45 tours pour enfants)
• 1991 : Sympathiq' (M. Amont)
• 2006 : Démodé (M. Amont / P. Loffredo)
• 2009 : Il a neigé (M. Amont / M. Miramon)

Most of his music was released by Universal.

Books by Marcel Amont

• Une chanson, qu'y a-t-il à l'intérieur d'une chanson? (Seuil, 1989)
• Ça se dit, ça s'écrit, ça se chante (Éd. Christian Pirot, 2000)
• Comment peut-on être gascon ? (Éd. Atlantica, 2001)
• Les plus belles chansons de Gascogne (Éd. Sud Ouest, 2006)
• Sur le boulevard du temps qui passe (Éd. Christian Pirot, 2009)
• Il a neigé (Éd. Didier Carpentier, 2012)
• Lettres à des amis (Éd. Chiflet & Cie, 2014)

Images for kids

• 

  Amont in 1969

See also

In Spanish: Marcel Amont para niños