The name of Claude Francois has been known to the audience since the sixties of the last century. A lot of time has passed, but the song of the fading French pop star "Comme d'habitude" is necessarily broadcast by some radio station.
A son appeared in the family of a ship dispatcher in Egyptian Ismaelia in 1939. The boy was born on February 1. Claude and his sister Josette spent their childhood on the shores of the Red Sea.
An uneasy path to fame
My father did not approve of his passion for music. But the mother treated her son's studies very well. Lucia taught Koda herself to play the violin and piano. In 1945 the family moved to Monte Carlo. My father could not work. Claude became a bank clerk.
He did not like the new occupation at all. After work, the young man auditioned for the orchestras that entertained guests of Monaco hotels. An enterprising and well-played guy was taken to the team, Louis Frosio. The happiness of his son was not at all shared by his father. He did not approve of a frivolous profession. Communication ceased forever.
Claude was confident in the future success. He dreamed of singing. In the orchestra, he was not given such an opportunity. But he got a chance at the Provencal Hotel in the Juan-les-Pins resort. The management was fascinated by the appearance of the charming guy, and his voice, and the sentimental repertoire. The fame came quickly. Fans also appeared with her. Their number grew constantly.
In nightclubs, Claude no longer wanted to perform. He decided to conquer Paris. By the end of 1961, he moved the whole family there. Rock and roll dominated the stage. The jive twist gained popularity. I decided to find myself and Claude in this direction. He got a job in the Les Gamblers group with Olivier Despax. The first disc in 1962 did not bring fame. Francois was not going to give up.
Success came with the song "Belles belles belles". After that, she sounded in the favorite youth program "Hello, friends!" Claude François is one hundred rising star.
Recognition and success
A real solo career started with the impresario Paul Lederman. At first, the singer performed with more famous performers and released records as collections with their compositions. However, it quickly became clear that the super-energetic young vocalist was outshining everyone else. New hits appeared one after another. Claude's creativity reached its peak.
All the problems were behind. After the release of the new song "La ferme du bonheur", the singer built a country house. He loved relaxing in the garden. In the early autumn of 1964, François entered the famous Olympia for the first time. The success was overwhelming. Created under the influence of parting with her beloved, "J'y pense et puis j'oublie" sounded especially soulful.
In 1965, new hits were released. Among them were Meme si tu revenais and Les choses de la maison. Participation in the Musikorama program was also a significant achievement. The singer recorded his own version of Cinderella. In 1966 he formed the dance group Les Claudettes. The idea of a group of four girls for a dancer originated in 1965 in Las Vegas.
Success in everything reached incredible heights. After completing his contract with Philips, Kod decided to start his own business. He organized the Disk Flash label and became completely independent. Almost all of the soloist's most famous stints are French re-songs of world hits. However, "Comme d'habitude" was originally French.
It was translated into English by Paul Anck, and only then Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra began to perform it. World fame for the composition came under the name "My Way".
Personal life of a star
In 1959, the singer met the dancer Jeannette Vulkut. A year later, the girl became Claude's wife. Life went wrong after moving to Paris, the family broke up. The affair with Frans Gal also ended in parting. Shocked by strong emotions, the singer then recorded "Comme d'habitude". He later met with Isabelle Faure, who gave him two sons, Mark and Claude.
Isabelle was well aware that singing is the life of her chosen one. However, she could not come to terms with the imperious character of François. She was replaced by the Finnish model, like two drops similar in temperament to Claude. The relationship is at an impasse. The last chosen one of the singer was Catalina Jones. She has become a best friend and support. The vocalist's dizzying success did not diminish.
He performed at Olympia, traveled across Canada. During a performance in March 1970, the singer on stage became ill from fatigue. The manager demanded a slower pace. Claude went to the Canary Islands. He returned refreshed and full of energy. However, he immediately got into a car accident. Then there was a fire in 1973. There were accidents almost every year.
Claude regained his usual rhythm. He acquired the teenage magazine Podium. Became an investor in Girls Models, produced by Patrick Topaloff and Alain Shamphor. Recent years In 1972, a dance performance was created especially for Le lundi au soleil. She became so successful that she was taught throughout the country.
The singer managed to tour and work in the studio, record new songs. In the early summer of 1974, the singer gave a concert at the Pantin gates. All proceeds went to charity. For the same purpose, a concert was held in 1975. His career was interrupted unexpectedly. On March 11, 1978, the singer was killed. He has been gone for a long time, but at least half a million of his discs are sold annually.
In 2000, the Place Claude-François was opened on the site of the singer's Parisian house. The independent singer was in everything. He had incredible intuition, he always knew what exactly would become popular. Claude François never doubted where to direct his fantastic energy.
