FR

Christophe

Man
Birth13/10/1945
Death16/04/2020
Age at death74 yearswould be 81 years today
NationalityFrance

Biography

Daniel Bevilacqua (13 October 1945 – 16 April 2020), better known by the stage name Christophe (French: ⓘ), was a French singer and songwriter.

Born in the Paris suburb of Juvisy-sur-Orge to an Italian father, Bevilacqua was rebellious at school and started leading a pop group when in his mid-teens. His first single, “Reviens Sophie” (1963), was unsuccessful, but after changing his name to Christophe, his second single, “Aline” (1965), rose to the top of the French pop music charts.

He continued to have success in France through the 1960s and early 1970s. His hits include the songs “Marionettes”, “J'ai entendu la mer”, “Excusez-moi Monsieur le Professeur”, and “Oh!... Mon Amour” which he sang in French and Italian. After a small break, he returned in 1971, with Francis Dreyfus launching the Motors record label (Disques Motors) and becoming the producer of Christophe records. The result was the 1973… album Les Paradis perdus. In 1974, he recorded “Les mots bleus”, with lyrics by Jean-Michel Jarre.

In 1978, he came back with “Le Beau Bizarre”. In 1983, Christophe released another single, “Succès fou”, followed by “Clichés d'amour” in 1984 in which he sang 1940s and 1950s classics such as “Arrivederci Roma” and “Dernier baiser”, a French version of the Mexican classic “Besame mucho”. In 1985, he wrote “Ne raccroche pas” a song which is believed to be about the Princess Stephanie of Monaco. The following year, he wrote the song “Boule de flipper” for Corynne Charby.

In 1996, after a break, he returned with his album Bevilacqua. In 2001, he released another album Comm' si la terre penchait. In February 2002, Christophe performed, in Clermont-Ferrand, his first live concert in more than two decades, followed by two appearances at the Olympia in March 2002.

Christophe's 1970s song “Les mots bleus” was covered by Thierry Amiel in 2003. In 2011, Christophe took part in a tribute album for Alain Bashung two years after the latter's death. He sang “Alcaline”, a song written by Bashung in 1989 for his album Novice.

In 2016, Christophe collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre on the album “Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise” with the song “Walking The Mile”. And collaborated with Alan Vega on the album “Les Vestiges Du Chaos” with the song “Tangerine”.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA licence)

6Discography

Media
ArtistTitleYearFormatClassificationGem, favourite, must-listen
Album cover: Christophe – AlineChristopheAline©1965
℗1979

Vinyl 7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue

French-speaking
Album cover: Christophe – ChristopheChristopheChristophe©1965
℗1966

Vinyl LP, Album

French-speaking
Album cover: Christophe – Les Mots BleusChristopheLes Mots Bleus© & ℗1974

Vinyl LP, Album

French-speaking
Album cover: Christophe – Les Paradis PerdusChristopheLes Paradis Perdus© & ℗1974

Vinyl 7", 45 RPM, Single

French-speaking
Album cover: Christophe – Clichés D'AmourChristopheClichés D'Amour© & ℗1983

Vinyl LP, Album

French-speaking
Album cover: Christophe – GoldChristopheGold℗1995

CD Compilation, Reissue

French-speaking

39Songs

SongYearRecords
Aline1966
Arrivederci Roma1983
C'Est La Question1974
Cette Vie La1966
Danse Perfidia1983
Dernier Baiser1983
Emporte-Moi1995
Excusez-Moi, Mr Le Professeur1995
Final1974
J'ai Eu Tort1966
Je Ne T'aime Plus1966
Je Suis Parti1966
Je T'ai Retrouvée1966
Je Vous Salue Madame1966
La Dolce Vita1995
La Fille Aux Yeux Bleus1966
La Mélodie1974
La Nuit Bleue1983
Le Beau Bizarre1995
Le Dernier Des Bevilacqua1974
Le Petit Gars1974
Les Marionnettes1966
Les Mots Bleus1974
Les Paradis Perdus1974
Les Tabourets Du Bar1995
Mama1974
Mon Amie Jalousie1983
Ne Raccroche Pas1995
Noël1966
Noël Blanc1983
Noir Est Ta Couleur1983
Partie Chant1974
Petite Fille Du Soleil1995
Privé D'Amour1983
Señorita1974
Souvenir De Laura1983
Souvenirs1974
Succès Fou1995
Tu N'es Plus Comme Avant1966

1Links

WebsiteTypeAddress
christophe-lesite.com ↗Official websitechristophe-lesite.com/