Michel Berger (born Michel Jean Hamburger; 28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992) was a French singer and songwriter. He was a leading figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer; as a songwriter, he was active for such artists as his wife

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...

Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; born 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter. Mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads, Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut, spanning a career o ...

or Johnny Hallyday. He died of a heart attack at age 44.

Biography

Berger was born as Michel Jean Hamburger on 28 November 1947 in the Parisian suburb of

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

, the son of Jewish parents, Dr. Jean Hamburger and

Annette Haas Annette Haas-Hamburger (1912–2002) was a French pianist-concertist. She was the first wife of professor Jean Hamburger (1909–1992), a member of the Académie française, as well as the mother of architect (1940–1982) and singer-songwriter ...

, a concert pianist of Swiss-Jewish origin. Berger first became known to the French public in the 1960s as singer of hit song ''Salut les copains'', after which he became record producer and songwriter for EMI and where he wrote amongst others ''Les Girafes'' for Bourvil in 1967. In the early 1970s, he moved to

Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...

where he produced the early albums of

Véronique Sanson Véronique Marie Line Sanson (; born 24 April 1949) is a three-time Victoires de la Musique award-winning French singer-songwriter and record producer with an avid following in her native country. Ten years after Barbara, Véronique Sanson beca ...

, and ''Allah'' once again in 1989. In 1973, he was responsible for producing the album ''

Message personnel "Message personnel" is a song by Françoise Hardy from her 1973 album '' Message personnel''. It was also released as a single. Writing and composition * Françoise Hardy: Title of the song and words of the spoken part. * Michel Berger: Lyrics ...

'', the title track of which relaunched

's career. He also produced the single ''Je suis moi'' for Hardy. Berger started writing for

in 1974, produced all her albums from 1975 on, and married her on 22 June 1976. In 1978, he composed the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

: '' Starmania'', with lyrics by

Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ (b. March 2, 1942 in Saint-Raymond, Quebec), is a French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. He is best known for his work on the musicals ''Starmania'' and ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brother of Louis Plamon ...

. The musical starred Gall, Claude Dubois, Daniel Balavoine, Diane Dufresne,

Nanette Workman Nanette Joan Workman (born 20 November 1945, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is a singer-songwriter, actress and author, who has been based in Quebec, Canada, during much of her career. She holds dual citizenship of both the United States an ...

, Éric Estève and

Fabienne Thibeault Fabienne Thibeault (born 16 June 1952 in Montreal, Quebec) is a French Canadian singer. She is particularly known for her role in Starmania. Thibeault has released numerous albums over her career. She has been the recipient of two Félix Aw ...

. It was a big success in France in the 1980s and 1990s. An English version, entitled '' Tycoon'', was released in 1991 with lyrics by

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

, but it did not achieve the success the original version had in France. Unfortunately, the two musicals Berger worked on immediately after '' Starmania'' did not fare well. In 1980, Berger partnered with producer

Jérôme Savary Jérôme Savary (27 June 1942 – 4 March 2013) was an Argentinian-French theater director and actor. His work has democratized and widened the appeal of musical theater in France, drawing together and blending such genres as opera, operetta, and ...

and lyricist

to produce the musical ''La Légende de Jimmy'', inspired by the life of

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, '' Rebel Without a Caus ...

. However, this bombed. Berger's next musical project, '' Dreams in Stone'', was conceived as an American musical, co-arranged with Michel Bernholc, and recorded in the United States, with lead vocals by singers Rosanne Cash, Bill Champlin, Lynn Carey, Jennifer Warnes, and

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including " Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), " Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (197 ...

among others. Though the show itself never saw the light of day, the album was nevertheless released in 1982. The album was a complete flop, and is not generally known outside of a few fansites. Berger also scored several film projects over the years, which included ''Mektoub'', a 1970 film by Algerian Director

Ali Ghalem ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

Robert Benayoun Robert Benayoun (12 December 1926 in Kenitra, Morocco – 20 October 1996, Paris) was a French film critic and author, and one-time member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival of 1980. He wrote books on Tex Avery, Woody Allen, Buster Keaton, the ...

's '' Sérieux comme le plaisir'' in 1975, Jean-Paul Rappeneau's '' Tout feu, tout flamme'' in 1982 and ''

Rive droite, rive gauche ''Rive droite, rive gauche'' (also known as "Right Bank, Left Bank") is a French film directed by Philippe Labro, starring Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye and Carole Bouquet. Bouquet received Best Supporting Actress nomination. Plot Paul i ...

'' the 1984 film by

Philippe Labro Philippe Labro (born 27 August 1936) is a French author, journalist and film director. He has worked for RTL, '' Paris Match'', TF1 and Antenne 2. He is a laureate of the Prix Interallié, a French literary distinction founded in 1930, whic ...

. He was known for his Orangina advertisement

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

. Berger was one of a handful of French artists who participated readily and actively in humanitarian acts: in 1985, he worked exclusively for ''Action Écoles'' alongside Gall, Richard Berry and Daniel Balavoine, then later for

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

with

Renaud Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (), known as Renaud (), born 11 May 1952, is a French singer, songwriter and actor. His characteristically 'broken' voice makes for a very distinctive vocal style. Several of his songs are popular classics in F ...

(''Chanteurs Sans Frontières'') and for Les Restos du cœur with comedian Coluche.

Death

On 2 August 1992, weeks after the release of his first album of duets with France Gall and six months after the death of his father, Berger suffered a fatal heart attack after a tennis match at Ramatuelle in

Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', A ...

. His death came as a shock to many as he had been one of the most popular French singer-songwriters of the 1970s and 1980s. Moreover, unlike many pop stars, he came across as a nice and simple man, more interested in music and family life than in

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

excesses. Indeed, his marriage to Gall was remarkably stable. Berger was buried in Paris, in the

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

cemetery. His daughter Pauline, who died of

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. Ot ...

in 1997 aged only 19, is buried close by. He was also the father of French music supervisor, Raphaël Hamburger.

Tribute

On 28 November 2019,

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

celebrated his 72nd birthday with a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

Discography

Albums

;Studio albums * 1973: '' Michel Berger (Le coeur brisé)'' * 1974: ''

Chansons pour une fan A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic so ...

'' * 1975: '' Que l'amour est bizarre'' * 1976: '' Mon piano danse'' * 1980: '' Beauséjour'' * 1981: '' Beaurivage'' * 1981: ''Tout feu tout flamme'' (instrumental movie soundtrack) * 1982: ''Dreams in Stone'' ** With

on "Apple Pie

; background vocals Denise DeCaro on "Innocent Eyes" (instrumental) * 1983: '' Voyou'' * 1984: ''Rive droite - Rive gauche'' (instrumental movie soundtrack) * 1985: '' Différences'' * 1990: '' Ça ne tient pas debout'' * 1992: '' Double jeu'' (with

) ;Live albums * 1980: ''Au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées'' * 1983: ''En public au Palais des Sports'' * 1986: ''Au Zénith'' ;Compilation albums * 2014: ''Pour me comprendre - Best of''

Singles

For comprehensive list, see lescharts.com website ;Selective * "Quelques mots d'amour" * "Seras-tu là?" * "Le paradis blanc" * "La groupie du pianiste" * "Diego, libre dans sa tête" * " Chanter pour ceux qui sont loin de chez eux" ;Selective (charted singles with

) * 1992: "Laissez passer les rêves" (FR #37) * 1992: "Superficiel et léger" (FR #42)

Booklets

* Plamondon & Berger : Full Text of the Rock Opera, ''La Légende de Jimmy'', Éditions Le Cherche Midi, Paris, 1990, * Plamondon & Berger : Full Text of the Rock Opera, ''Starmania'', 1995 Éditions Le Cherche Midi, Paris,

Filmography

* Berger, alongside fellow musicians Michel Fugain and Michel Sardou, appeared as extras (uncredited roles) in the 1966

René Clément René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. Life and career Clément studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed hi ...

film '' Paris brûle-t-il?'' (English title ''Is Paris Burning?''). Berger played the role of "Chef des explosifs", whereas Fugain and Sardou appeared as student protestors.

References

Biographies

* Hugues Royer & Philippe Seguy: ''France Gall – Michel Berger, Deux destins pour une légende'', Éditions du Rocher, 1994, * Jean-François Brieu & Éric Didi: ''Michel Berger – Quelques mots d'amour'', Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès, 1997, *

Jacques Pessis Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are ove ...

: ''Michel Berger'', Collection ''Les Lumières du Music-Hall'' – Éditions Vade Retro, 2001,

Essays

* France Gall & Jean Brousse: ''Michel Berger – Si Le Bonheur Existe'', 2002 Éditions Le Cherche Midi, Paris,

External links

Biography of Michel Berger
from

Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of France. With 37.2 million listeners in 2014, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world, along with ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Michel 1947 births 1992 deaths People from Neuilly-sur-Seine 20th-century French Jews French people of Swiss-Jewish descent Jewish songwriters Jewish singers Burials at Montmartre Cemetery 20th-century French male singers French male singer-songwriters Deaths from heart disease