Marcel Dadi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcel Dadi
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| Born | 20 August 1951 Sousse, Tunisia
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| Died | 17 July 1996 (aged 44) Long Island, New York, United States
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| Known for | Guitarist |
Marcel Dadi (born August 20, 1951 – died July 17, 1996) was an amazing guitarist from France, originally born in Tunisia. He was famous for his special way of playing the guitar called finger-picking. This style allowed him to play songs just like famous American guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and Jerry Reed. Marcel even became good friends with the country music legend, Chet Atkins!
Contents
Marcel Dadi's Life Story
Early Years and Learning Guitar
Marcel Dadi was born in Sousse, Tunisia, on August 20, 1951. When he was just three years old, his family moved to Paris, France.
Marcel started playing the guitar at age 10 in 1961. By 1964, he had joined a rock band with his friends Andre Assouline, Joseph Illouz, and Maurice Levy.
He loved the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. Later, another guitarist named Bernard Photzer showed him the music of Elvis Presley and other rock and roll stars from the 1950s. Bernard also taught Marcel how to play with a pick, a style called flatpicking.
Marcel began to develop his own unique flatpicking style while playing with the French singer-songwriter Hugues Aufray. In 1972, Marcel started writing articles for a magazine called Folk Music Review. In these articles, he shared his special way of teaching guitar, which included a detailed chart to help people learn.
His Amazing Guitar Career
Marcel Dadi released many music albums and even some teaching videos during his career. His albums often featured a mix of songs by his American guitar heroes and his own original songs, all played in a similar style.
A cool thing about his early albums was that they came with a special booklet called a tablature. This booklet showed guitarists exactly where to put their fingers, making it easy for them to learn his tunes. Marcel often wrote songs dedicated to his friends, like "Roger Chesterfield," which was for Roger C. Field. Roger was the friend who first took Marcel to Nashville in 1975 to meet Chet Atkins.
In 1983, Marcel Dadi moved to Eilat in Israel, a city by the Red Sea. He lived there with his wife and young son for several years before moving back to France. In 1988, his longtime family friend, the famous guitarist Eric Clapton, even came to Eilat to visit Marcel.
A Sad Farewell
On July 17, 1996, Marcel Dadi was on his way back to Paris from New York City with his band and his friend Serge Sloimovits. Sadly, the plane they were on, a Boeing 747 (TWA Flight 800), had an accident off the coast of Long Island.
Marcel was returning from the United States to France after being honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. His body was found, along with all the other people on the plane. Marcel Dadi is buried in Jerusalem, Israel, on the Mount of Olives.
Certified Guitar Player Award
Marcel Dadi was given a very special honor by Chet Atkins. He was named one of only five "Certified Guitar Players." This shows how incredibly talented Marcel was and how much Chet Atkins respected his playing.
