The singer Gilles Dreu, famous for his success “Alouette” in 1968, died this Tuesday, January 7 at his home in Vals-les-Bains, in Ardèche. The artist, who left his mark on the Music scene of the 1960s, leaves behind a career spanning more than six decades.
Born Jean-Paul Chapuisat on July 31, 1934 in Dreux, Gilles Dreu began his career in Parisian cabarets in 1959. He was discovered by Léo Missir, an emblematic figure of French song, who propelled him to the forefront. In 1968, his interpretation of “Alouette, Alouette”, written by Pierre Delanoë and inspired by an Argentinian song, enjoyed immense success.
“I was the first Frenchman, after Aphrodite’s Child and the Beatles. Claude François and Johnny were far behind! A great success is the encounter of a work with the performer it needs and at the same time appropriate time”Gilles Dreu told the magazine Schnock in 2023. “The song could have gone unnoticed. However, we were in a Latin American atmosphere in 68, a revolutionary period. I had a physique, mustache and cigar, which was a bit reminiscent of Che Guevara as a poster in all the student rooms”he added.
A career spanning 63 years
Although Gilles Dreu never found success on the scale of “Alouette”, he recorded more than 200 songs. In 2020, when he revealed he had cancer, he released his latest studio album, Le Comptoir des amis, a series of duets with artists such as Serge Lama and Gérard Lenorman.
In 2022, he celebrated his 63-year career on the stage of La Nouvelle Ève in Paris. In 2023, he made a final appearance at the Olympia during an evening in tribute to Jacques Brel. Shortly before, in Vendée, he announced his farewell to the stage: “I will no longer be a singer tomorrow morning. Tonight is really the last time. And, even if I bragged about never having stage fright, tonight I do.”
In addition to music, Gilles Dreu has also distinguished himself as an actor for cinema and television series. With his pseudonym inspired by his hometown, he joined the “Âge Tender et Tête de Bois” tours, reconnecting with a loyal audience.
Culture Music celebrities deaths Gilles Dreu Serge Lama Fabienne Thibault Didier Barbelivien Stone Gérard Lenorman jacques brel Léo Missir Pierre Delanoë The Beatles Claude François Johnny Cardoso Che Guevara Jean-Claude Pascal
