Michel Delpech facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Delpech
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Michel Delpech in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jean-Michel Delpech |
| Born | 26 January 1946 Courbevoie, France |
| Died | 2 January 2016 (aged 69) Puteaux, France |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1964–2015 |
| Labels | Vogue, Disques Festival, Barclay, Tréma, Disques AZ, Universal, Discovery, Arcade, Polydor, Polygram, Magic, Laserlight |
Jean-Michel Delpech (born January 26, 1946 – died January 2, 2016), known as Michel Delpech, was a famous French singer, songwriter, and actor. He was known for his popular songs that often told stories about everyday life and feelings.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jean-Michel Bertrand Delpech was born on January 26, 1946, in Courbevoie, a town near Paris, France. His father, Bertrand Charles Delpech, worked with metals, and his mother, Christiane Cécile Marie Josselin, was a homemaker. Michel had two younger sisters, Catherine and Martine.
His mother's family grew grapes for champagne in Gyé-Sur-Seine. His father's family lived in Sologne, where his grandfather was a hairdresser. Michel often spent weekends and holidays with his family in the countryside. Sometimes, he even helped out in his aunt's grocery store.
Starting His Music Career
Michel's parents moved to Cormeilles-en-Parisis. He studied in college and high school there from 1961 to 1964. As a teenager, he loved listening to famous singers like Luis Mariano, Gilbert Bécaud, and Charles Aznavour. In 1963, while still in high school, he started a small band with his friends.
In January 1964, at just 18 years old, Michel left high school to focus on singing. He tried out for a record company called Disques Vogue in Paris. He released his first song, "Anatole," and met a composer named Roland Vincent.
One day, while traveling to Roland's house, Michel thought about his high school days. He remembered a café where he and his friends used to go after school. On the train, he wrote the words for a song called "Chez Laurette." Roland Vincent quickly added a melody. This song came out in May 1965. Even though it was a bit sad and nostalgic, it slowly became popular thanks to radio plays.
In 1965, Michel Delpech joined a musical play called Copains-Clopant. It ran for six months in Paris. The song "Chez Laurette" was included in the play, which helped Michel become even more famous. During this play, he met Chantal Simon, and they sang a song together. They got married in 1966 when Michel was 20.
Later that year, he released another song called "Inventaire 1966." This song listed many news items from that year, like the Vietnam War and new fashion trends. Also in 1966, Michel performed as the opening act for 38 shows of the famous singer Jacques Brel.
Rise to Stardom
In 1967, a manager named Johnny Stark started working with Michel Delpech. Michel began an international tour, performing in places like West Germany, Russia, and the United States. He also changed record companies, moving to Barclay.
In 1968, he won a special award called the "Grand Prix of the French Song" for his song "Il y a des jours où on ferait mieux de rester au lit" (There are some days where you'd better stay in bed).
This was a very successful time for Michel, both in France and other countries. He released hit songs like "Wight Is Wight" in 1969. This song was a tribute to the famous rock festival on the Isle of Wight. It sold over a million copies in Europe. Another big hit was "Pour un flirt" (For a Flirt) in May 1971. This romantic song was a huge success in French-speaking countries and the Netherlands. Its German version also became popular in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In just four months, over four million copies were sold!
In 1970, Michel decided to leave his manager, Johnny Stark, to have more artistic freedom. Two years later, he also stopped working with Roland Vincent, looking for new songwriters. By January 1972, he was a big star and performed for three weeks at the famous Olympia theater in Paris.
In 1973, Michel's separation from his wife, Chantal Simon, and his co-writer inspired him to write the song "Les Divorcés" (The Divorced). This song talked about peaceful breakups, even though his own was painful. His record company was worried this song would be too sad. But they released it, and it became a huge success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. The song's impact was so strong that a law for mutual agreement divorce was adopted three years later in France.
Michel continued to have many hits, including "Que Marianne était jolie," "Le Chasseur" (1974), and "Quand j'étais chanteur" (1975). In 1977, he sang "Le Loir-et-Cher," a song that gently and humorously described the people from the Loire et Cher region, where he was born.
Later Career and Personal Life
Michel Delpech continued to release new music. In the 1980s, he made a comeback with the album Loin d'ici. He released a collection of his songs in 1989 and kept making albums and performing concerts. In December 2006, he released an album of duets called Michel Delpech &, which became number one on the French Albums Chart for a week in January 2007. He also went on a tour in France.
In his personal life, after his divorce from Chantal Simon, Michel went through a difficult time. He found comfort and help by exploring different religions, including Buddhism and later the Catholic faith.
In 1983, he met Geneviève Garnier-Fabre, a French artist. They got married in 1985. In 1990, they had a son named Emmanuel. Emmanuel became a talented guitarist and even joined his father on stage for concerts starting in 2007.
In 2011, Michel Delpech acted in a film called Beloved. He also appeared as a special guest on a popular TV show called Âge tendre et Têtes de bois.
Death
Michel Delpech had smoked cigarettes for many years. He stopped after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2013. He passed away at a hospital in Puteaux, France, on January 2, 2016, at the age of 69.
Discography
Michel Delpech released many albums and singles throughout his career. Some of his well-known albums include Inventaire 66, Quand j'étais chanteur, and Michel Delpech &. He also released several live albums and collections of his greatest hits. His most famous singles include "Chez Laurette," "Wight Is Wight," and "Pour un flirt."
See also
In Spanish: Michel Delpech para niños
