Frank Alamo (born Jean-François Grandin; 12 October 1941 – 11 October 2012) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

singer. He achieved his greatest success in the 1960s.

Biography

He was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. He sang in a leading French children's choir, "Les Petits Chanteurs à la croix de bois", and studied music in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

between 1957 and 1960.Biography by Gary Hill at Allmusic.com
Retrieved 13 October 2012.
. Retrieved 13 October 2012. While skiing at

Val-d'Isère Val-d'Isère (, literally ''Valley of Isère'') is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region) in southeastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise Nat ...

in 1962, he met

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

promoter and record company executive Eddie Barclay, who heard him singing popular English and American songs in

. Barclay signed him to his label, and persuaded him to take the stage name Frank Alamo, the surname being in tribute to

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

's film ''

The Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

''. Alamo helped popularise the '' yé-yé'' style of music in France.''Le Figaro'', "Frank Alamo, symbole des années 60"
Retrieved 13 October 2012. His hit records included "''Biche ô ma Biche''" (" Sweets for My Sweet"), "''Je veux prendre ta main''" ("

I Want to Hold Your Hand "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded on 17 October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment. With advance orders ...

"), and "''Je me bats pour gagner''" (" A Hard Day's Night"). In all, he released 30 singles over a five-year period in the early and mid-1960s, including some original songs. He retired from the music business when he married in 1969, becoming a photographer and later a manager in the automobile industry. In 1983, he was chasing a beautiful blonde girl who was driving a funny car, she brought him to a factory and there Frank Alamo bought not a single car but the whole plant: the Dallas jeep company. He sold it in 1996 in order to give further singing performances. However he never recovered success.

Death

He was married twice. He died in Paris in 2012, on the eve of his 71st birthday, after having been diagnosed with

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most commo ...

(ALS).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alamo, Frank 1941 births 2012 deaths 20th-century French male singers Singers from Paris Neurological disease deaths in France Deaths from motor neuron disease Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery