A few years ago, a survey was conducted in the US and Frank Sinatra's song My Way was chosen as the most popular song people request to be played during their funeral procession. In Israel, the song is also very popular among those going to their deaths, and the writer of these lines himself was present at at least three funerals where it was played, either through a choppy loudspeaker broadcast from YouTube or through an amateur violin or trumpet player who came to make a gesture for the family.
Few in the US and Israel know that the song was actually written by a Frenchman named Claude Francois after he broke up with the young singer France Gal, with whom he had a long affair. The song was a huge success in France in the 60s, played endlessly on the radio, and reached the ears of Paul Anka, who was visiting Paris at the time. The resourceful Anka took the melody and wrote completely new lyrics in English that were about as close to the original as water to oil. But the epic, uplifting text that sums up a journey was warmly embraced by Frank Sinatra (whose career was waning at the time) and became perhaps the most famous song on the planet with countless performances, gestures, and winks. Sinatra himself, thanks in no small part to My Way, continued to sing for many more years until he died of a heart attack at the age of 83.
Today we will not be dealing with Sintra, but with Claude Francois, who may be less well-known to the Israeli audience, but in France is considered one of the greatest pop stars to ever emerge. His fascinating and turbulent life, as well as his tragic death – due to electrocution in the bathroom at the age of 39 – made him a legend that will not soon be forgotten.
The childhood and youth of Claude Francois
Claude François was born in Egypt in 1939 to an Italian mother and a French father who worked for the company that supervised maritime transport in the Suez Canal (which was then jointly owned by Britain and France). Like other children of foreign workers, young Claude grew up in a wealthy and spacious home in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of Ismailia, received a higher education from the city's best teachers and also received music lessons on the violin.
During World War II, the Germans bombed the villa where the Francois lived, and Claude and his older sister were sent to live in their grandmother’s house, which was located in the more popular area of the city. There, Claude met the sons of immigrants – “street children” with whom he played, danced, or drummed. Later, when he was in high school, Claude enrolled in a French boarding school in Cairo and was first exposed to American rock music, which was flourishing at the time.
The idyll did not last long: in 56, the Suez Canal passed to Egyptian control, a move that resulted in the expulsion of all French and British workers and their families who had lived and worked there until then. The little François family fled Egypt by the skin of their teeth, under a shower of beatings and insults that left a deep shock in the soul of young Claude. The family returned to Paris without any property and stayed in a hotel until it was decided what to do with them. When nothing happened and the family did not receive any assistance or financial compensation from the authorities France, they decided to move to sunny Nice, thinking that if they did not live in luxury, at least they would have a little sun and sea, a bit like in the good old days in Egypt. The economic situation at home was difficult and it is said that Claude himself slept on the floor because there were not enough beds in the house.
Hot meals were also scarce, and Claude used to satisfy his hunger by eating bread dipped in vinaigrette sauce, a habit that led to the formation of a stomach ulcer in his body and much unnecessary suffering. The positive part of this story: Because of his ulcer, 18-year-old Claude was exempted from military service, which was the lot of many young men in France at that time (due to the complications of the campaign in Algiers). After partially overcoming his medical problems, Claude found work as a bank clerk, and in the evenings, he joined a small musical ensemble as a tomba player. Later, we enrolled at the National Academy of Music of Nice And he also began taking voice development lessons.
the hack
When he was 22, Claude François left for Paris with his partner, a dancer named Jeannette Wolkoff. The two get married and try their luck in the big city, full of the hopes and dreams of a young couple. But it wasn't long before the beautiful Jeannette abandoned Claude in favor of a huge star in the Parisian sky at the time – the singer Gilbert Co. The hurt Claude couldn't get over the insult and it only strengthened his desire to succeed "and show everyone" as they say. In 1962, after adopting the promising nickname 'Coco', his first CD was released - 'The Nabot Twist' in two versions: in Arabic and French. While the Arabic version was played well mainly on radio stations in Africa, the French version was received with relative indifference. Claude didn't give up and that same year he returned to his original name and released another CD: 'Belle Belle Belle' (Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful) and this time it was a hit: the song became a huge success and sold 700 million copies throughout France. In the famous music video (directed by Claude Lelouch), our Claude is seen frolicking in the snow surrounded by smiling, graceful young ladies. The song is played several times a day on a legendary radio program called 'Hello Friends' ('Cello La Coup') that introduced new artists to the general public, mainly from a genre that was then called: the 'Ya Ya' style. Claude becomes an overnight star and reaches the most famous concert hall in Paris - the Olympia, and he is only 24 years old.
The affair with Frans Gal
Claude caught the attention of the French nation primarily because he was a bit of an anomaly in the local music scene: the combination of his unique facial features (which looked like a doll's face), his blond hair and his 'different' voice tone, along with a particularly energetic performance style, made him a cultural phenomenon. Another thing, unlike the French rock stars of those days who were masculine and gnarled in both their appearance and their singing style (Edie Mitchell, Johnny Holiday) - François was slim and delicate, bordering on feminine. Another interesting detail: most of the stars of the period adopted stage names with a distinctly American sound. It was Claude, who was an ardent fan of American rock songs (and translated many of them), who ultimately decided to keep his original name, which was so striking in its Frenchness. And lastly, Claude François was basically a "good boy". He didn't drink, smoke, behave rudely or destroy hotel rooms. Is it any wonder that France fell in love with him and flocked to his concerts on buses? At some point, his fans (and especially his female fans) began to affectionately call him 'Clo Clo' and the romance between the parties took off.
Clo Clo François continued to work hard and put out one song after another. In 64, he was already in a tumultuous relationship with the rising star France Gal. Their romance was interrupted the night Gal won Eurovision with the song "Wax Doll Straw Doll." According to one version, Gal, overjoyed by the win, calls Claude in France to share the big moment with him. Claude in response tells her angrily that it's over between them and hangs up the phone. The shocked Gal bursts into tears but is called up to the Eurovision stage to perform the winning song again. The audience in the hall sees her in tears and many mistakenly believe that these are tears of excitement. No one knew about that phone call except for two people. Poor France Gal.
Brilliant businessman
In 66, Claude François incorporated a new element into his performances that had never been seen before in France: a team of five professional and extremely beautiful dancers (carefully selected) who were minimally dressed and accompanied him on stage in dance and singing. The dancers were called 'The Claudettes' and became the hottest thing on the local pop market.
At the same time, Francois works hard and Sisyphean to continue cultivating the image of a 'star': high-profile affairs with famous women (the more beautiful - the better), driving luxury cars, going out to public places wearing sunglasses and designer clothes - and always looking very rushed. Besides, he was known as quite a tyrant in the productions in which he took part - whether it was a stage show, a television guest or a studio session. Musicians and dancers, composers and writers, technicians and producers - all suffered from his difficult and unbearable character. He strove for perfection and would not settle for anything less. To his credit, it can be said that he demanded no less (or even more) from himself than the entire production team combined. Numerous and grueling rehearsals from morning to night, and especially with the Claudettes, brought him to a state of almost complete exhaustion.
At the same time, Claude also reveals a considerable talent for business. He establishes his own production company (something that was very innovative at the time, even in global terms), establishes a fan club (a concept that had hardly existed until then), and even launches a new perfume. In 1968, his first son was born – Claude Junior (from his relationship with a model named Isabelle Foret). Success continues to shine on him in the 70s, when he grows his hair long in keeping with the spirit of the times and introduces disco elements into his songs.
https://youtu.be/2r_nAnAy-So
A few years later, he had another son, but the star "hidden" him from the public eye (according to one explanation - so as not to damage his image as an eternally youthful idol).
Unimaginable death
There are many great French singers whose deaths have become widespread and unprecedented media events. But the evening when Claude François' death was announced, no one will probably forget.
On Saturday, March 11, 1978, François took a shower at his home in Paris and prepared to participate in a television talk show hosted by Michel Drucker (who, incidentally, continues to host a television show to this day). At one point, the host announced on the air that Claude François was embarrassed to arrive, “something that is completely out of character for him,” as he put it. Everyone knew that François was a pedant of precision and punctuality. A little later, Drucker received the bitter news: Claude François had tried to fix a light bulb in the bathroom while wet and barefoot – and was electrocuted to death. Drucker was forced to inform the studio guests and all of France that the big star was gone.
https://youtu.be/Za3W5zAW9hQ
Songs and Heritage
Claude François remains a role model and inspiration for many musicians and singers. In a relatively short career of 16 years, he managed to establish a thriving industry of huge hits (original or translated), while what made him very unique was the fact that he always adapted himself to the spirit of the times, whether in terms of clothing and appearance or in terms of musical style. He left behind many wonderful songs (which continue to be played on radio stations in France) and sells albums and collections in considerable quantities to this day. Among his beautiful songs: 'The Crying Telephone' (Le téléphone pleure), which describes a father who tries to contact his ex-wife on the phone, but instead their little daughter answers and she talks to him (without knowing that he is her father).
Another wonderful song is "17 Years Old" about François's innocent youth, which he longs for and cherishes:
Another poem that is really worth getting to know is “You and I Against the Whole World” (Toi et moi contre le monde entier), which he dedicated to his eldest son:
You are blonde and I am blonde.
And we even have the same eyes.
You are the success I never expected.
Don't tell your mother about our brotherhood.
She won't understand at all.
That my secret on earth is
You and me against the whole world…
And finally, an article about Claude Francois cannot be concluded without mentioning the film that was released 37 years after his death and which also came to Israel.
A few words about the author
Noam Akutones is an Israeli singer and musician who combines influences from Chansons French in his work (and also edited) Chanson performancesHe recently released a new album, 'Zar Dafna Nitze' (Forever Daphne Branch), and is continuing his tour throughout the country. If you want to get to know him,
To listen:
'You Should Know' (from the new album)
'In His Lover's Room' (from a previous project, chosen as the song of the week on Station 88):
For reviews of the album Click here.