Jean Ferrat

Jean Ferrat

Born: December 26, 1930
Died: March 13, 2010
in Vaucresson, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Jean Ferrat (born Jean Tenenbaum; 26 December 1930 – 13 March 2010) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. He specialized in singing poetry, particularly that of Louis Aragon. He had a left-wing sympathy that found its way into a few songs.

Ferrat was born in Vaucresson, Hauts-de-Seine, the youngest of four children from a modest family which moved to Versailles in 1935, where Ferrat studied at the Jules Ferry College. His Russian-born father (naturalized in 1928) was forced to wear the yellow star and deported to Auschwitz in 1942, where he died.

In the early 1950s, he started in Parisian cabaret. After that he avoided any particular musical style, but remained faithful to himself, his friends and his public. In 1956, he set "Les yeux d'Elsa" ("Elsa's eyes"), a Louis Aragon poem which Ferrat loved, to music. Its rendition by popular artist André Claveau brought Ferrat some initial recognition as a songwriter.

His first 45 RPM single was released in 1958, without success. It was not until 1959, with publisher Gérard Meys, who also became his close friend and associate, that his career started to flourish. He signed with Decca and released his second single, "Ma Môme", in 1960 under the musical direction of Meys.

In 1961, Ferrat married Christine Sèvres, a singer who performed some of his songs. She died in 1981 at age 50. He met Alain Goraguer, who became an arranger of his songs. His debut album, Deux Enfants du Soleil, was released that year. Ferrat also wrote songs for Zizi Jeanmaire and went on the road, sharing billing with her at the Alhambra for six months.

Nuit et Brouillard ("Night and Fog"), which followed in 1963, was awarded the Académie Charles Cros's Grand Prix du Disque and showed any topic could be put in songs. Ferrat toured again in 1965, but stopped performing on stage in 1973.

In 1990, he received an award from the Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique, (SACEM) the French association of songwriters, composers and music publishers.

Ferrat died in Aubenas, Ardèche, following a long illness at the age of 79. He lived in Antraigues-sur-Volane, a small village of not even 700 people in Ardeche.

In 2013 Ferrat's song, Nuit et Brouillard, appeared in the BBC's list of 20 songs that changed the world.

In 2015, a tribute album was released by Columbia Records where various artists interpreted songs by Jean Ferrat. The 15-track album titled Hommage à Jean Ferrat: Des airs de liberté contained performances by artists Marc Lavoine, Cali, Dionysos, Julien Doré, Patrick Bruel, Catherine Deneuve, Benjamin Biolay, Raphaël, Patrick Fiori, Grégoire, Sanseverino, Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine, Zebda, Natasha St Pier, Patricia Petibon & Marc Lavoine and "Ma France" sung by Jean Ferrat. The album charted in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Source: Article "Jean Ferrat" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Movies for Jean Ferrat...

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Title: La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 7, 2022
Type: Movie
In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a new era of modernity. One of his first decisions was to break up the ORTF with the creation of three new television channels: TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Three new public channels but autonomous and competing. It is a race for the audience which is engaged then, and from now on the channels will make the war! This competition will give birth to a real golden age for television programs, with variety shows in the forefront. The stars of the song are going to invade the living rooms of the French for their biggest pleasure. This unedited documentary tells the story of the metamorphosis of this television of the early 1970s, between freedom of tone, scandals, political intrigues and programs that have become mythical.
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Title: Archives secrètes
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 9, 2021
Type: TV
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L'école en campagne
Title: L'école en campagne
Character: Self
Released: May 26, 2004
Type: Movie
In a small village of the mountains of Ardèche (Massif central, France), the last public school is about to close. Parents mobilize to maintain this public service.
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Title: Vivement dimanche
Character: Self
Released: September 20, 1998
Type: TV
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Title: Stars 90
Character: self
Released: September 3, 1990
Type: TV
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Title: La Chance aux chansons
Character: Self
Released: March 26, 1984
Type: TV
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Title: Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Character: Self
Released: January 12, 1975
Type: TV
A talk show presented by Michel Drucker
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Title: Midi trente
Character: Self
Released: March 6, 1972
Type: TV
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Title: Le Grand Échiquier
Character: Self
Released: January 12, 1972
Type: TV
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Vivre Sa Vie
Title: Vivre Sa Vie
Character: Man Near the Jukebox (uncredited)
Released: September 20, 1962
Type: Movie
Twelve episodic tales in the life of a Parisian woman and her slow descent into prostitution.
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Title: Discorama
Character: Self
Released: February 4, 1959
Type: TV