Gilbert Bécaud Video Showcase

Gilbert Bécaud (October 24, 1927 - December 18, 2001) was a French singer, composer and actor, known as Monsieur 100,000 Volts for his energetic performances.

His best-known hits are probably Nathalie and Et maintenant, a 1961 release that became an English language hit after being translated into "What Now My Love?".

Born in Toulon, Bécaud learned to play the piano at a young age, and then went to the Conservatoire de Nice. In 1942, he left school to join the French Resistance during World War II. He began songwriting in 1948, after meeting Maurice Vidalin, who inspired him to write his early compositions. He began writing for Marie Bizet; Bizet, Bécaud and Vidalin became an extremely successful trio, and their partnership lasted until 1950.

While touring with Jacques Pills as a pianist, Bécaud met Édith Piaf, the wife of Jacques Pills at the time. He began singing at her suggestion in 1953, with Mes mains and Les croix. His first performance came the year after, and by 1955 he had earned his reputation as the most electrifying performer on the French scene. His hits in the later part of the decade included La corrida (1956), Le jour où la pluie viendra (1957) and C'est merveilleux l'amour (1958).

His first hit in the English-speaking world was Jane Morgan's version of Le jour où la pluie viendra (as The Days The Rains Came, with English lyrics by Carl Sigman) in 1958. He began acting in the same period, starting with 1956's Le Pays D'où Je Viens.

In 1960, he won a Grand Prix du Disque and composed L'enfant à l'étoile, a Christmas cantata. That same year, Let It Be Me, an English version of Je t'appartiens, became a hit for the Everly Brothers, followed, over the years, by Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Jerry Butler and James Brown.

Read the Wikipedia article about Gilbert Bécaud ...

Photo author: Merodema from flickr.com

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