The legendary French crooner known for his distinctive voice and dandy look died overnight Thursday of a respiratory illness, his wife Véronique Bevilacqua told AFP
Born Daniel Bevilacqua, the beloved French singer and songwriter was hospitalized and admitted to intensive care on March 26 in a Parisian hospital, before being transferred to the city of Brest in Brittany
His wife and daughter wrote in a press release, "Christophe is gone". Despite the unfailing devotion of his medical team, he lost his strength
"Words fail us today ... and long speeches are futile," they wrote
The mustachioed singer was barely 20 when he shot into the spotlight with the 1965 release of the melancholy ballad "Aline”. His star power would remain undiminished for decades, with the release of such hits as “Les Mots bleus” (1974), "La Dolce vita" (1977) and “Succès fou” (1983
French Cultural Minister Franck Riester tweeted, "His words, his melodies and his voice transported us and moved us. Without Christophe, the French chanson has lost part of its soul, but the blue bitter-sweetness of his songs is indelible. My thoughts are with his wife and daughter"
Jean-Michel Jarre, who had written the lyrics for two of Christophe's major albums — "Les Paradis Perdus" in 1973 and "Les Mots bleus” in 1974 — tweeted his homage by borrowing lyrics from "Les Paradis Perdus": "Christophe, you left us tonight… and tonight, paradise is lost. Some say that those we love are eternal and they are, and so are you”
Christophe tu es parti ce soir .. et ce soir ce sont les Paradis perdus.. on pense que les gens qu’on aime sont éternels et ils le sont, et tu l’es
Jarre added: "He was much more than a singer. He was a couturier of song"
Christophe 1945 - 2020
Christophe became famous in the early 1960s with his first hit being "Aline", in 1965. His hits include the song "Oh!... Mon Amour" which he sang in French and Italian. After a small break, he returned in 1971, with Francis Dreyfus launching the Motors record label (Disques Motors) and becoming the producer of Christophe records. The result was the 1973 "Les Paradis perdus". In 1974, he recorded "Les mots bleus" lyrics by Jean-Michel Jarre
In 1978, he came back with "Le Beau Bizarre". In 1983, Christophe released another single, "Succès fou", followed by "Clichés d'amour" in 1984 in which he sang 1940s and 1950s classics such as "Arrivederci Roma" and "Dernier baiser", a French version of the Mexican classic "Besame mucho". In 1985, he wrote "Ne raccroche pas" a song which is believed to be about the Princess Stephanie of Monaco. The following year, he wrote the song "Boule de flipper" for Corynne Charby
In 1996, after a break, he returned with his album "Bevilacqua". In 2001, he released another album Comm' si la terre penchait. In February 2002, Christophe performed, in Clermont-Ferrand, his first live concert in more than two decades, followed by two appearances at the Olympia in March 2002
In 1971, Christophe married his girlfriend Véronique and fathered his daughter Lucie
Christophe's 1970s song "Les mots bleus" was covered by Thierry Amiel in 2003. In 2011, Christophe took part in a tribute album for Alain Bashung two years after the latter's death. He sang "Alcaline", a song written by Bashung in 1989 for his album Novice
Singles
1964: Reviens Sophie / Cette fureur de vivre / Ça n'fait rien / Se dire adieu
1965: Aline Aline / Je l'ai retrouvée / Je ne t'aime plus / La fille aux yeux bleus
1966: Je chante pour un ami / Cette vie là / La danse a trois temps / J'ai remarché
1966: Excusez-moi monsieur le professeur / La camargue / Pour un oui / Christina
1966: À ceux qu'on aime / Avec des mots d'amour / Maman / Les amoureux qui passent
1967: Je sais que c'est l'été / Le coup de fouet / Les espagnols / La petite gamine
1968: Amour interdit / Passons une nuit blanche / Confession / Si tu veux, je peux
with Motors label
1970: The Girl From Salina / Sunny Road To Salina
1971: La petite fille du 3e / Mere, tu es la seule
1971: Mal / Épouvantail
1971: Mes passagères / Fait chaud ce soir
1973: La vie c'est une histoire d'amour / Les jours où rien ne va
1973: Belle / Rock monsieur
1973: Les paradis perdus / Mama
1973: Mickey / Emporte-moi
1973: L'amour toujours l'amour / La bête
1974: Señorita / Le temps de vivre
1974: Les mots bleus / Le dernier des Bevilacqua
1975: Petite fille du soleil / Le petit gars
1976: Merci John d'être venu / Paumé
1976: Une autre vie / Paumé
1976: Daisy / Macadam
1977: La Dolce Vita / La mélodie
1978: Un peu menteur / Ce mec-lou
1979: Aline / Je ne t'aime plus
1980: L'Italie / Question ambiance
1980: Agitation / Les tabourets du bar
1983: Succès Fou / Cœur défiguré
1983: Mon amie la jalousie / Souvenir de Laura
1983: Dernier baiser / La nuit bleue'
1984: J'l'ai pas touchée / Voix sans issue
1985: Ne raccroche pas / Méchamment rock'n'roll
1988: Chiqué chiqué / Un tour d'Harley avec Lucy
1988: Chiqué chiqué (long version) / Besame mucho / Ne raccroche pas (long version)
alkalimaonline/vevo/youtube/AJ G/amazon/FRANCE 24 with AFP/F2/google/INA fr
