Marcel Amont
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Marcel Amont (; born Marcel Jean-Pierre Balthazar Miramon, ; 1 April 1929 – 8 March 2023) was a French singer of the 1960s and 1970s. Amont also recorded in Occitan and promoted Bearn culture from the 1950s.Cinéma - Numéros 301 à 312 1984 - - Page 56 "A part Marcel Amont, occitan, aucun acteur de renommée nationale. Mais des acteurs régionaux d'un niveau assez professionnel. Une difficulté qu'il faut avouer, peu de Jeunes, et encore moins d'enfants (et il nous en fallait), parlent occitan." Amont was one of the most popular singers in France, and the most prolific of the French language, with a career lasting many years. He sold 300 million albums, recorded 30 albums, 79 singles 126 ep's, 11 compilations and about 1,000 songs in different languages (English, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, German, Irish and Spanish). Amont is known for having performed songs by composers such as
Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; ; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and ...
,
Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (; 24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer. He released some forty albums over this period, composing the music and the majority of the lyrics. He released ...
and
Georges Moustaki Georges Moustaki (born Giuseppe Mustacchi; 3 May 1934 – 23 May 2013) was an Egyptian- French singer-songwriter of Greek-Jewish origin. He wrote about 300 songs for some of the most popular singers in France, including Édith Piaf, Dalida, Fran ...
. His work was inspired by American pop and jazz in the style of
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
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Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
and
Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
. He recorded international hits such as "Blue, bland, blond", "L'amour ça fait passer le temps", "Ballade pour l'espagnol", "Le plus beau tango du monde" and "Cathy, fais-moi danser". His song entitled "Un Mexicain" reached number 1 on the charts in France.


First years

Born in
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
on 1 April 1929, son of Modeste Miramon, employee of the railways, and Romélie Lamazou, nurse. He doubted, after the baccalaureate, between the chair of physical education and the Conservatory of dramatic art. The comedy, and finally the song, will prevail over the sport. After having toured the arts of Bordeaux, he "got up" in Paris in the late 1950s, where he made his name little by little in most cabarets of the two banks (Villa d'Este, Fontaine des 4 saisons, etc. ). He was fond of jazz and pop music from a young age.


Beginnings

In 1951, Marcel Amont decided to try his luck in Paris and became famous performing in several cabarets. For many years, Marcel Upstream enchainer such benefits before 1956 to secure the first parts of
Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...
, allowing it to quickly become the revelation of the year and his first public recording, which allows him to get the novel Grand Prix de Novela the French Academy of Charles Cros. A success that opens the doors of the cinema, and will become with Brigitte Bardot in The bride is too beautiful. 1956 is the miraculous year. At the Olympia, he was cut in the first part of Edith Piaf: first hired as a "supplement to the program," a sacred "revelation of the year" and finished five weeks later in second place on the poster. Encouraged by this success in public, he recorded his first album in public and receives the Price of the
Académie Charles-Cros An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
in the company of Serge Gainsbourg and Juliette Gréco and, in the process, debut in the cinema with
Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...
in the bride is too beautiful. We often see Marcel Amont in the famous television show ''
36 chandelles 36 chandelles is a French variety show which was broadcast from October 27, 1952 to July 26, 1958. Premise Jean Nohain created the show made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion) ...
''. Through his appearances in the films ''La mariée est trop belle'' (1956), together with
Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...
and ''La conduite à gauche'' (1961), Marcel acquires a great reputation in France. Amont signed a record contract with Polydor Records in that same year when he released his first single ''Escamillo''. In 1957 he released his first album entitled Marcel Amont and in Bleu, Blanc, Blond. A revelation of the late 1950s, Marcel Upstream connects more than 100 dates in 1962 on the stage of Bobino and two albums: ''Tout doux tout doucement'' (1959) and ''Bleu blanc blond'' (1959).


International career

At the beginning of the 1960s, Amont would develop a prolific career getting more than 5 gold albums and achieve successes such as «Les Bleuets d'Azur» and «Le balayeur du roy». He also recorded his success which was sold in 80 million copies «Dans le coeur de ma blonde» in 1961. The following year he popularized the song composed by Charles Aznavour, "Un mexicain" which also reached number one in France. From that moment on, the public knew him as the most prolific singer in the Francophone world, although he was behind Charles Aznavour and
Gilbert Bécaud François Gilbert Léopold Silly (24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001), known professionally as Gilbert Bécaud (), was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-know ...
. In that same year in 1962, he offered his first solo exhibition to Bobino for months, he sold out; In addition to his own texts, he creates several songs signed by
Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, ; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French jazz singer and poet. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born on 9 September 1929 in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...
(Le Balayeur du Roy, Penholder, Tango of Twins, Le Jazz et la Java). He made his first tour in 1963 in Luxembourg in concert. Immediately released another album ''Fantaisie Sur Des Airs D 'Opérettes'' with 14 songs. In 1965, he returned to Olympia for five weeks. Very noticeable innovation: in its staging, it evolved around it with dancers. He would continue to record 45rpm records until 1969. On 1 October 1967, he hosted the first color television show in the history of French television (Amont Tour).


Success

In the 1970s he changed his record label CBS Records and released his first album titled Amont-Tour. In 1970, at the Olympia, always in the company of his dancers and choristers, he surrounds himself with specialists and uses giant screens for certain staging. The success is such that the show lasts 5 weeks. Then he embodies the dynamic, smiling and light young singer, the scenic and popular repertoire. He is preparing a musical and, for this reason, rejects the offers of a US producer and the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. It comes out with another North American version entitled "
Can't Take My Eyes Off You "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, and first recorded and released as a single by Gaudio's Four Seasons bandmate Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and rea ...
" and in French called "Femme jolie on te yeux", the French version was composed by himself since he was also a songwriter. He participated in numerous variety shows in the 60s and 70s, especially those of Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier. In 1974, he is the host of the Sunday show Toutankhamont. The following year Amont released another success that was sold in 50 million copies entitled "L'amour ça fait passer le temps" in 1971. Like many leading artists of the 1960s and 1970s, the 1980s are hard on the French media plan, but for more than two decades, the very visual nature of their art opened the doors to the outdoors (touring Japan, Russia, recital at the Gould Foundation of San Francisco, Studio One in Rome for one year, etc.). Amont puts to the music two texts by Georges Brassens (A Little Eva in excess, The Old Fossil), which he had awarded in 1976 «Le chapeau de Mireille».


Consecration

In 1980, he was part of the candidates for the French preselection for the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
with the song Camarade Vigneron. On 23 March, during the final pre-selection in TF1, presented by
Évelyne Dhéliat Évelyne Dhéliat (born 19 April 1948) is a French weather presenter and former continuity announcer. Early life and education Évelyne Dhéliat was born in Cologne. Her father was a commercial director from Bordeaux and her mother a German perf ...
, occupies the 4th place of 6 candidates following the votes of the spectators. In the French plan, he finds a new life in the 2000s and in 2006, he returns with a new album time difference between
Francis Dreyfus Francis Dreyfus (; 2 March 1940 in Le Raincy – 24 June 2010 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French record producer, who focused on jazz and electronic music, publishing Jean-Michel Jarre's first commercially successful work, ''Oxygène''. In 1971, D ...
, the duets signature with Agnès Jaoui,
Gérard Darmon Gérard Darmon (, ; born 29 February 1948) is a French-Moroccan actor and singer. He has been nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for his roles in '' Betty Blue'' (1987) and '' Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra'' ( ...
,
Didier Lockwood Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French violinist. He played in the French rock band Magma in the 1970s, and was known for his use of electric amplification and his experimentation with different sounds on the electri ...
, Bireli Lagrené. In 2007, he found Olympia, 50 years after his first visit. At the end of 2008, he participated in the children's album by Guillaume Aldebert titled ''Enfantillages''. For two years, he is one of the stars of the Tender Age tour, the idol tour for seasons 3 and 4. In October 2009, he celebrated his 80th birthday with a series of recitals in the Grand Comedy in Paris. In 2010, he participated in the album for children of Emma Daumas Les Larmes de Crodrilo, writing several texts and singing a duet with elle, about music by his son Mathias Miramon. In 2012, after the publication of a memoir entitled At the time passes Boulevard (Editions Pirot), he published "Nevó", an illustrated picture book comes mainly from his personal albums (Editions Didier Carpentier). He returns to Paris at the Alhambra on 25 November to celebrate his more than 60-year career. It offers an animated and surprisingly modern show, between stand-up and singing, in an alloy of hits known by the general public, small scenic masterpieces and more recent titles, which delight his loyal public and a new generation of spectators. In 2013, his song Il has the yellow jersey appearing on the soundtrack of the film La Grande Boucle directed by Laurent Tuel. The same year, he participated in the video "Because the night", a song by the collective Les Marguerites against Alzheimer, destined to fight against the disease. In January 2014, Marianne Melodie / Universal Music released a double anthology CD (success from 1959 to 1975).


Later life and death

In March 2014, he published his seventh book, Letter to Friends, which collects fictitious letters sent to the people he loves and most of whom he has met. Among the recipients:
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...
,
Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...
,
Yves Montand Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...
, Alain Souchon, François Morel, and
Antoine de Caunes Antoine de Caunes (born 1 December 1953) is a French television presenter, comedian, actor, journalist, writer and film director. He is the son of two prominent French personalities, television journalist-reporter Georges de Caunes and televis ...
, among others. Amont published an autobiography in 2015. From November 2016 to February 2017, he participated in the tenth anniversary of "Age tend, the tour of idols", together with
Gérard Lenorman Gérard Lenorman (born 9 February 1945) is a French singer-songwriter. Lenorman was born at the Château de Bénouville, Calvados (Normandy) when it was a maternity hospital. He is the son of Madeleine Lenormand and an unknown German soldier. ...
,
Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name ''Caelia'', the feminine form of the Roman clan name ''Caelius' ...
,
Hugues Aufray Hugues Jean Marie Auffray (; born 18 August 1929), better known as Hugues Aufray, is a French singer-songwriter. He is known for French-language covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Aufray knew Dylan and his work from his time in New York City,Ian Bel ...
, among others. In 2018, the stand-up begins with a new show "Marcel says and sings Amont", in which he trusts in the manner of a humorist, tracing his life from his native southwest until today. He is enamoured of his greatest hits and new songs, whether or not they are yours and that enhance the story. Marcel Amont married Tamara Vladimirovna Deiness in 1952 and divorced in 1959; He had three children, Pascual, Jean and Pierre. Amont died in
Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a French commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthie ...
on 8 March 2023, at the age of 93.


Legacy

Amont is also known for being the first French singer to perform in Béarnese after releasing his album ''Que canta en biarnés'', in 1979. Amont was honored in 2001 with the title of Knight of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. In 2017 he celebrated 65 years of artistic career, he continued to give concerts with sold out localities and selling records. Sales exceed 35 million copies, making him the third best-selling French singer in the country's music history, behind
Michel Sardou Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 January 1947) is a French singer and occasional actor. He is known not only for his love songs ("La maladie d'amour", "Je vais t'aimer"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, su ...
and
Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and Pop music, pop singer and actor, credited with having brought rock and roll to France. During a career ...
.


Influence

Amont interpreted classical composer songs, including ones by: *
Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of th ...
* Guy Thomas *
Michelle Senlis Michelle Senlis (20 July 1933 – 21 July 2020) was a French lyricist and songwriter. She notably wrote songs for Jean Ferrat, Juliette Gréco, Fabienne Thibeault, and Hugues Aufray. Biography Édith Piaf was the first singer to perform a song w ...
* Philippe Pauletto *
Guillaume Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire (; ; born Kostrowicki; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic of Poland, Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...
* Henri Gougaud *
Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the Poetic realism, poetic ...


Selected discography


Albums studio

* 1959 : ''Bleu, Blanc, Blond'' * 1961 : ''Dans Le Coeur De Ma Blonde'' * 1961 : ''Marcel Amont'' * 1962 : ''Récital 1962'' * 1962 : ''Un Mexicain'' * 1962 : ''Nos Chansons de Leurs 20 Ans'' * 1963 : ''Le Barbier De Seville'' * 1965 : ''Ah C'qu'on A Rigolé Dimanche'' * 1965 : ''Chansons Des Iles Et D'ailleurs'' * 1975 : ''Pourquoi Tu Chanterais Pas ?'' * 1979 : ''Un Autre Amont'' * 2006 : ''Décalage Horaire''


Singles

* 1956 : ''Escamillo'' (Georges Coulonges / C. Roi) * 1958 : ''Julie'' (J. Datin - M. Vidalin) * 1958 : ''Mon manège à moi'' (N. Glanzberg - J. Constantin) * 1959 : '' Tout doux, tout doucement'' (
Gretchen Christopher The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940). Early history The band me ...
-
Pierre Delanoë Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), known professionally as Pierre Delanoë (), was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including Dalida, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavou ...
) * 1959 : ''Bleu blanc blond'' (Jean Dréjac / H. Green) * 1960 : ''Les bleuets d'azur'' (J. Larue / G Magenta) * 1961 : '' Dans le cœur de ma blonde'' (Jean Dréjac / N. Petty) * 1961 : ''La chanson du grillon (The cricket song)'' (
Jean Dréjac Jean Dréjac, stage name of Jean André Jacques Brun (3 June 1921, in Grenoble – 11 August 2003, in Paris) was a French singer and composer. He is noted for writing the songs " Ah! Le petit vin blanc", " Sous le ciel de Paris" and "La Chansonne ...
) * 1962 : ''Un Mexicain'' (J. Plante /
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...
) * 1963 : ''Moi le clown'' (J.Mareuil - Ch. Aznavour) * 1964 : ''Dans le cœur de ma blonde'' (Jean Dréjac) * 1965 : ''Maria et le pot au lait'' (M. Amont) * 1965 : ''Au bal de ma banlieue'' (Jean Dréjac) * 1970 : ''Le monsieur qui volait'' (
Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, ; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French jazz singer and poet. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born on 9 September 1929 in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...
/ M. Amont ]) * 1971 : ''L'amour ça fait passer le temps'' (Rivat - Thomas / Vincent) * 1971 : ''Monsieur'' (G. Thibault / J. Renard) * 1971 : ''Benjamin le Bienheureux'' ( Y. Dessca / E. Charden) * 1971 : ''C'est aujourd'hui dimanche'' (Bernard Estardy - Jean-Michel Rivat / F. Thomas) * 1974 : ''Y a toujours un peintre'' (JM. Rivat- R. Vincent) * 1974 : ''Le chapeau de Mireille'' (
Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; ; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and ...
) * 1975 : ''Les artistes'' (M. Amont - J. Revaux / R. Vincent) * 1976 : ''La musique est de retour'' (M. Amont - M. Jourdan /Gustin) * 1977 : ''On ne guérit pas de son enfance'' (M. Amont / M. Cywie) * 1979 : ''Viennois'' (
Alain Souchon Alain Souchon (; born Alain Édouard Kienast ; 27 May 1944) is a French singer-songwriter and actor. He has released 15 albums and has played roles in seven films. Profile Alain Souchon was born in Casablanca, Morocco. His family on his moth ...
) * 1979 : ''Paris rombière'' (Cavanna / R. Vincent) * 1979 : ''Pour traverser la rivière'' (Gilles Vigneault) * 1979 : ''La galère'' (
Maxime Le Forestier Maxime Le Forestier (; born 10 February 1949 as Bruno Le Forestier) is a French singer-songwriter. Life and career Bruno Le Forestier was born on 10 February 1949 in Paris to Robert Le Forestier and Genevieve (''née'' Lili 1917–2010), who had ...
/
Julien Clerc Paul-Alain Auguste Leclerc (born 4 October 1947), better known by his stage name Julien Clerc (), is a French singer-songwriter. He rose to fame with his song "La cavalerie" (1968), that captured the "rebellious essence" of those times and becam ...
) * 1982 : ''Demain j'arrête de fumer'' (Amont) * 1985 : ''Le tam-tam des gorilles'' (45 tours pour enfants) * 1991 : ''Sympathiq (M. Amont) * 2006 : ''Démodé'' (M. Amont / P. Loffredo) * 2009 : ''Il a neigé'' (M. Amont / M. Miramon) Mainly issued on
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...


Books written by Amont

* ''Une chanson, qu'y a-t-il à l'intérieur d'une chanson?'' (Seuil, 1989) * ''Ça se dit, ça s'écrit, ça se chante'' (Éd. Christian Pirot, 2000) * ''Comment peut-on être gascon ?'' (Éd. Atlantica, 2001) * ''Les plus belles chansons de Gascogne'' (Éd. Sud Ouest, 2006) * ''Sur le boulevard du temps qui passe'' (Éd. Christian Pirot, 2009) * ''Il a neigé'' (Éd. Didier Carpentier, 2012) * ''Lettres à des amis'' (Éd. Chiflet & Cie, 2014)


References


External links

*
Official site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Amont, Marcel 1929 births 2023 deaths Musicians from Bordeaux 20th-century French male singers Knights of the Legion of Honour Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 21st-century French male singers Polydor Records artists Singers awarded knighthoods Occitan-speaking people Occitan-language actors