Renaud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Renaud
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Renaud in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan |
| Born | 11 May 1952 Paris, France |
| Origin | Paris |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | |
Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (born May 11, 1952, in Paris), known simply as Renaud, is a famous French singer and songwriter.
He has released twenty-six albums and sold almost twenty million copies. This makes him one of France's most popular singers. Many of his songs are well-known classics in France. These include the sea story "Dès que le vent soufflera," the playful "Laisse béton," the sweet song "Morgane de toi," and the nostalgic "Mistral gagnant."
Renaud's songs often use everyday French slang and Parisian phrases. They talk about both fun and serious topics. He mixes humor, feelings, and comments on society in his music.
Even though he was very successful in France during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, his career had some ups and downs. He faced personal challenges, which he sometimes sang about in his songs. Outside of French-speaking countries, his music is not as widely known.
He has also acted in several movies. One notable role was in Claude Berri's film Germinal in 1993.
Renaud has been called "le chanteur énervant" (the irritating singer) because of his strong opinions. He supports many important causes, like human rights, protecting the environment, and being against war. These ideas often appear in his songs.
Contents
Renaud's Music Journey
Starting His Music Career
As a child, Renaud appeared as an extra in the movie The Red Balloon (1956). After school, he first wanted to be an actor. He met actor Patrick Dewaere and joined the comedy theater group Café de la Gare. This group was started by Patrick Dewaere, Coluche, and Miou-Miou.
Renaud had some small roles in TV shows. However, he focused more on his singing as his music career grew.
His early songs showed his strong personality and new ways of using French words. They often touched on serious social and political topics from a left-wing point of view. Renaud grew up in an educated family, but he chose to look and act like working-class youth in the 1970s. This was reflected in his song lyrics.
A common theme in his music was his dislike for average French people who cared too much about small, middle-class things and had right-wing ideas. His songs often highlight differences between social classes. They also criticize the misuse of political power, strict authority, and the military or police. Sometimes, his songs show a gentle side, caring for people, the Earth, and art.
Growing as an Artist
In 1985, Renaud performed a concert in Moscow. During his anti-war song "Déserteur," about one-third of the audience left the hall. This was a planned action.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Renaud's songs became "softer." He sang about his wife Dominique, his daughter Lolita, and his friends. He also wrote a tribute song, "... de camion" ("Bloody Lorry"), for comedian and singer Coluche after Coluche died in a car accident.
Renaud also explored regional music and languages. He sang in the language of Marseille in La Belle de Mai and from northern France in Renaud cante el' Nord. He even included Corsican polyphonic singing in "Lolito lolita."
In 1992, he helped bring back the satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo after it had stopped publishing. He wrote a column for them called Renaud bille en tête for a few years. His column appeared again in 1995–1996, renamed Envoyé spécial chez moi. In 2006, he released Les Bobos, which made fun of the Parisian lower middle class.
In 1993, he returned to acting. He played the main character, Étienne Lantier, in the film Germinal, directed by Claude Berri.
His Big Comeback
After a quiet period, Renaud made a big return with his 2002 album Boucan d'enfer. A popular song from this album was "Manhattan-Kaboul," a duet with Axelle Red. This song talked about important world events by comparing a victim of the 9/11 attacks in New York with an Afghan girl. Both were caught in a war they didn't understand.
In 2009, Renaud released Molly Malone – Balade irlandaise, an album of Irish folk songs. This album was produced by Pete Briquette, a former bassist for the band Boomtown Rats. It sold very well, becoming double-platinum in just over a month. However, some reviews mentioned that the singing was sometimes weak or out of tune.
In 2014, a group of 15 artists released a tribute album called La Bande à Renaud. It featured 14 cover versions of his songs.
On January 26, 2016, Renaud released "Toujours debout" on his website. This was the first song from his new studio album. On the same day, he announced on French radio that his new album would also be called Toujours debout. The music video for "Toujours debout" came out on February 26, 2016. On April 8, 2016, Renaud released his studio album, which was simply titled Renaud.
About Renaud's Life
Renaud was born in Paris on May 11, 1952, at 3:30 AM, just ten minutes after his twin brother, David. His mother chose the name Renaud because her own mother and grandmother used to sing "La complainte du Roi Renaud" (The Lament of King Renaud) to her. She found the song so sad that it made her cry every time.
His father, Olivier Séchan, was a novelist and writer of children's books. He taught German in a high school in Paris. The film director Edmond Séchan is Renaud's uncle.
His grandfather, Louis Séchan, was a scholar who taught at the Sorbonne. Renaud's ancestors were pastors. His mother's father was a coal miner from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Renaud has honored his family roots in his work. He sang traditional songs in the regional Picard language and played Étienne Lantier in Germinal, a film based on the famous novel by Émile Zola.
Renaud is the sixth of his father's eight children. He has two brothers: David, his twin, and the writer Thierry Sechan. He also has two sisters. Additionally, he has two half-sisters and a half-brother from his father's first marriage.
During his childhood, Renaud lived with his grandparents in Paris in a building for teachers. Seven people shared two rooms. Later, his family moved to a larger apartment because his father was a teacher and his grandfather was a well-known academic.
Between the ages of ten and twelve, he wrote stories on his father's typewriter. He also discovered Yé-yé music and the Beatles.
In August 2005, Renaud married Romane Serda, and they had a son named Malone. In 2007, he told the press that he wanted to move his family to London. He said he loved British society and felt disappointed with the situation in France at the time. In 2009, Renaud's daughter, writer Lolita Séchan, married French singer-songwriter Renan Luce.
In September 2011, Romane and Renaud divorced.
His Albums and Songs
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR |
BEL (Wa) |
SWI |
|||
| 1975 | Amoureux de Paname (Polydor) | – | |||
| 1977 | Laisse béton (Polydor) | – | |||
| 1979 | Ma gonzesse (Polydor) | – | |||
| 1980 | Marche à l'ombre (Polydor) | – | |||
| 1981 | Le Retour de Gérard Lambert (Polydor) | – | |||
| 1983 | Morgane de toi (Polydor) | – | Sold over 1,500,000 copies | ||
| 1985 | Mistral gagnant (Virgin) | – | Sold over 2,000,000 copies; it was Renaud's most successful album until 2002's Boucan d'enfer | ||
| 1988 | Putain de camion (Virgin) | – | |||
| 1991 | Marchand de cailloux (Virgin) | – | |||
| 1992 | Renaud cante el' Nord (Virgin) | – | Traditional folk songs from the north of France | ||
| 1994 | À la Belle de Mai (Virgin) | – | |||
| 1996 | Renaud chante Brassens (Virgin) | 22 | 10 | – | Interpretation of songs by Georges Brassens |
| 2002 | Boucan d'enfer (Virgin) | 1 | 1 | 1 | Sold over 2,200,000 copies the most successful Renaud album to date |
| 2006 | Rouge Sang (EMI) | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2009 | Molly Malone – Balade irlandaise (EMI) | 1 | 4 | 34 | |
| 2016 | Renaud (Parlophone, Warner Music) | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2019 | Les mômes et les enfants d'abord (Parlophone, Warner Music) | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2022 | Métèque (Parlophone, Warner) | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 2023 | Dans mes cordes (Parlophone, Warner) | 10 |
10 | – | |
Live Albums
- 1980: Bobino (Polydor)
- 1981: Le P'tit bal du samedi soir et autres chansons réalistes (Polydor)
- 1982: Un Olympia pour moi tout seul (Polydor)
- 1989: Visage pâle rencontrer public (Virgin)
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR |
BEL (Wa) |
SUI | |||
| 1996 | Paris-Province: Aller / Retour (Virgin) | 29 | 32 | – | |
| 2003 | Tournée d'enfer (EMI) | 16 | 38 | – | |
| 2007 | Tournée Rouge Sang - Paris Bercy + Hexagone (Ceci-Celà) | 16 | 38 | – | |
| 2025 | Live à La Cigale (Parlophone) | 11 | – | – | |
Compilation Albums
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR |
BEL (Wa) |
SUI | |||
| 1995 | Les Introuvables | – | 29 | – | A collection of rarities |
| Ma compil | – | 36 | – | ||
| 85-95 | – | 6 | – | ||
| The Meilleur of Renaud 75-85 | – | 11 | – | ||
| The Very Meilleur of Renaud 1975/1995 | – | 14 | – | ||
| 2000 | L'absolutely meilleur of Renaud | – | 29 | – | |
| 2006 | Les 100 plus belles Chansons 1975-1983 | – | 76 | – | |
| Les 100 plus belles Chansons 1985-2006 | – | 2 | – | ||
| 2011 | Le plein de super! | 15 | 33 | – | 3CD Best Of |
| 2012 | Intégrale 2012 | 76 | 200 | – | |
| 2014 | Les 50 plus belles chansons | 57 | 59 | – | |
| Les 100 plus belles chansons 1985-2006 (5 CDs) | 185 | 2 | – | ||
| 2020 | L'album de sa vie | 134 | 81 | – | |
| 2021 | Putain de Best Of! | 16 | – | – | 3 CD digipack |
Popular Songs (Singles)
(Selective)
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR |
BEL (Fl) |
BEL (Wa) |
SUI | |||
| 1986 | "Miss Maggie" | 13 | – | – | – | Mistral gagnant |
| 1991 | "Marchand de cailloux" | 25 | – | – | – | Marchand de cailloux |
| 1992 | "P'tit voleur" | 35 | – | – | – | |
| "La ballade nord-irlandaise" | 44 | – | – | – | ||
| 2002 | "Docteur Renaud, Mister Renard" | 23 | – | 6 (Ultratip) |
– | Boucan d'enfer |
| "Manhattan-Kaboul" (with Axelle Red) |
2 | 34 | 4 | 37 | ||
| 2003 | "Coeur perdu" | 91 | – | 11 (Ultratip) |
– | |
| 2005 | "Anaïs Nin (Romane Serda feat. Renaud) |
12 | – | 31 | 61 | |
| "Dans la jungle" | 31 | – | 19 | 64 | Rouge Sang | |
| 2006 | "Les bobos" | 8 | – | 16 | 51 | |
| "Arrêter la clope!" | 31 | – | 3 (Ultratip) |
– | ||
| 2009 | "Vagabonds" | – | – | 19 (Ultratip) |
– | Molly Malone – Balade irlandaise |
| 2011 | "La liberté en cavale" (Dr. Tom) | – | – | 30 (Ultratip) |
– | |
| 2012 | "Mistral gagnant" | 102 | – | – | – | Mistral gagnant |
| 2015 | "Ta batterie" | 36 | – | – | – | |
| 2016 | "Toujours debout" | 1 | – | 2 | 48 | |
Renaud in Movies and TV
Movies
- The Red Balloon (1956) as Kid in red
- Elle voit des nains partout ! (1982) as Tarzan (cameo)
- Germinal (1993) as Étienne Lantier
- Crime Spree (2003) as Zéro
TV Shows
- Madame Ex, by Michel Wyn (TV movie, 1977)
- Brigades des mineurs, by Michel Wyn (TV series, 1 episode, 1977)
- Au plaisir de Dieu, by Roland Mazoyer (TV miniseries, 1977)
- Un juge, un flic, by Denys de La Patellière (TV series, 1 episode, 1977)
Awards and Achievements
- 1993: Won the Traditional music album of the year award for "Renaud cante el' Nord"
- 2001: Received a Lifetime achievement award
- 2003: Won three awards: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year (for Manhattan-Kaboul with Axelle Red)
Learn More
- La Bande à Renaud
See also
In Spanish: Renaud Séchan para niños
